Students at the Simmons Career Center in Plant City now have the chance to earn college credit while they work on getting their high school diplomas or GED.
Students who already attend Simmons say it’s all about getting a second chance. Many of the students enrolled struggled in mainstream high school, but now the career center is giving them the chance to strive for higher education.
“I had Fs in all my classes and missed a lot of school [before coming to Simmons]," said student Lorena Ramirez.
When Lorena Ramirez started at Simmons Career Center she had a GPA below 1.0 and only had two credits toward her high school diploma. Ramirez turned her life around and now has a 3.7 GPA. She’s also in the dual-enrollment program.
“It's a second chance to achieve what you weren't able to do in a regular high school,” said Ramirez.
“It just really shows they're completely capable of achieving a high school and a college education and that'll set them up for their life," said adjunct professor and Simmons language arts teacher Judy Gaspar.
Students are required to have a 3.0 GPA and meet testing standards to be in the program. It's an opportunity the students say they never thought could be a reality.
“I didn't think I was going to go to college or anything," said Simmons dual enrollment student David Contreras. "I was just going to go to high school, get my diploma and get a job but now I have a chance to go to college."
The college credits students earn while at Simmons won't cost them a dime. The books, tuition and all of the resources are made available for free!
“Whenever we can go out and offer this in a different setting to another school, that's really what it's all about," said HCC Plant City’s Dean of Academic Affairs and Workforce program Dr. Bonnie Finsley Satterfield
And now with higher education in sight, the Simmons Career Center students say they won’t waste their second chance to get on the right path.
“I'm college and career ready," said Ramirez.