It's an opportunity of a lifetime and it's created quite the buzz.

That's because nine through 12th graders have a prime opportunity to earn a high school diploma and an associate degree at the same time.

The journey can start when they enroll at the Pensacola State College Charter Academy just as Dr. Meadows emphasized in his president's perspective.

To discuss this further, I'm happy to welcome Dr. Karen McCabe, Charter Academy principal and Alia Knight, student engagement specialist.

So glad to have you here.

Thank you for having us.

Dr. McCabe, let's get to it.

Admission requirements.

Let's cover the grades and also what it takes to get in.

Sure.

So we've added ninth and 10th grade this year.

We're in our third year.

So ninth and 10th grade, we're looking at an unweighted 3.0 GPA.

And and that really holds true, actually, for all all classes on grades 11th and 12th grade, though they need to have some testing requirements because they're going to enter into the college classes.

So those students will have to have A.C.T., S.A.T.

or PERT scores.

Those are on the website.

As far as you know, what the recommendation is.

But that really points us in the direction of we know that they're going to then be accessible and that they will be able to meet the college requirements.

Are any of these classes held at the Pensacola campus?

Yes.

So that's grades, Correct.

So this year we have nine through 12 on the Warrington campus and that's where we initially started.

We opened up the second location here at the Pensacola campus in the 11th and 12th grade.

Students have an option to choose if they want college classes here or at Warrington, and that's predominately because they drive.

So the other students were bus, right?

Right, exactly.

Dr. McCabe, speaking of high school seniors Charter Academy senior Jake Hutchinson has some amazing thoughts he wants to share.

Let's take a look.

How awesome is it to come to a school where you know you're not in the high school mode anymore?

You're in a college mode that's getting you ready for, you know, for higher education and a career.

And it's all paid for.

I mean, you can't beat that.

I wouldn't have my social history right now.

Would not be in the are in program.

I'd still be in high school just, you know, the day to day grind, what it would be.

But you it's changed my life.

Just the people that I've met here, not even in the charter academy, people I've worked with in the nursing program.

Being that I'm over there, they've helped me kind of plan out and get a better understanding of what my career is going to be like.

They've I've discussed, you know, getting my bachelor's here at PSC with their BSN program online, and I feel like the contacts that I've made just being at the charter academy are actually going to help me even pass my education into my career.

Alicia What can I say?

Hearing him was so inspirational, wasn't it?

Yes, it was.

Talk about your mission as an employee there at the Charter Academy.

You see him and other students on a daily basis.

What does that mean to you?

So it means a lot.

My mission is to really connect with the students in the school and to also connect with students in the community and let them know about what the charter academy has to offer.

But you approach your daily venture quite miraculously, I would say, because you have such a hefty schedule.

Not only are you right there at the charter academy, you go out and about in the community.

And I've had the pleasure of joining both you and Dr. McCabe for quite some time.

You've handled the Juneteenth event downtown.

The Watson family, and also Kingdom Builders, Christian Ministry Church.

We went there for a back to school giveaway, didn't we?

Yes, we did.

So why do you find so much joy in experiencing and going out there in the community recruiting for the charter Academy?

Well, really, I get to see the students firsthand.

I get to connect with them and let them know about all the great things that the charter academy has to offer.

I get to hear their responses, hear what they're kind of going through at their current schools and just let them know this is another opportunity that you can choose when you're taking your academic route.

Dr. McCabe I love the word free because there are a lot of free things on the table here.

Tell us what they are for anyone who's considering enrolling at the PSC.

Turner.

Absolutely.

First and foremost, I think the biggest one and parents will certainly appreciate this is that we offer it's free college tuition.

So a student that comes in as a junior, if they start with us as a junior, they'll they'll leave with two four years of college.

We provide Dell laptops for all of the students.

They don't pay any fees as far as, you know, tuition fees, registration fees, textbooks.

We cover all of that.

So it's it's all free.

A day in your life seeing these students in action in the classroom.

We have some amazing video of that.

They are so focused, aren't they?

They are.

And that's I think the beauty of the charter academy is that the students that come there, they choose to come there.

They've made that selection.

And the other pieces that they are all like minded.

So they're all working toward the same goal.

And I think that that's what really helps them feel comfortable with one another.

Alicia One of the interesting things about the charter Academy is that if a student likes to play basketball or is involved in other certain activities, they can still participate in those events at the other high school, correct?

Yes, Yes, they can.

They can still participate at their zoned high school.

Amazing.

One thing that I noticed about the charter academy is that the teaching staff so well seasoned Dr. McCabe, there's a recruiting involved in that as well.

Yes.

So we have veteran teachers for the ninth and 10th year high school teachers.

The 11th and 12th graders, of course, go to the college classes.

And the college has for years offered, you know, masters in their fields.

But but the teachers are very, very dedicated and love what they do.

And that comes out in the classroom.

Ellie, I know that you have an interesting story of someone that you either helped write their at the charter academy or out in the community.

Why don't you share a quick story for us of encouragement for anyone out there thinking about enrolling?

Yes.

So there was a time there was a mother and and she cried when we told her about what the charter academy had to offer because she didn't know that there was a school where their student could really excel.

And it was just so it was great to see the positive response from her about us when we explained everything that we had to offer to the students.

Ladies, so many positives and the word free is resonating in our minds.

Thank you so much for joining us.

We appreciate what you do for the college.

Thank you.

Thanks for having us.