LARGO, Md. — Alex Saviet, 14, doesn’t have to wait until after high school to start making progress in the realm of higher education.
Thanks to the newly established Academy of Health Sciences at Prince George’s Community College, Alex and 99 other soon-to-be high school freshmen will begin taking college courses as part of their high school experience.
The academy — located on the college campus — is part of a network of schools established under the auspices of the Middle College National Consortium, which was established in 1993, and the first such academy to be established in Maryland.
The middle college schools are meant to provide high school students with early exposure to a college campus and the opportunity to graduate from high school with an associate’s degree.
“I thought this sounded really cool,” Alex said on the first day of a three-week summer orientation for the school. “I can cut two years out of college. I can get the attention I need if I’m having trouble on any subject. It seems to be a win-win.”
Saviet — who plans to become a sports therapist — said the benefits of getting college credit early far outweigh the benefits of a regular high school, such as sports teams.
Leaders of the newly established academy say the school makes higher education more accessible and more affordable for students of lesser means or whose parents did not go to college.
