The Future is Now: Dual Enrollment and its Benefits on California Youth 

By League Staff
Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Lily Alvarez, a high school senior at Red Bluff High School in Red Bluff, California, is a participant in Shasta College’s dual enrollment program. We had the pleasure of speaking to Ms. Alvarez on her dual enrollment experience and how it has helped mold her view on college.

This interview has been edited and condensed.


League Staff
Good Morning, Lily! Before we begin the interview, please, tell us a little about yourself.

Lily Alvarez
Good Morning! My name is Lily Alvarez, I am a senior at Red Bluff High School. I am 18-years-old, the first in my family to attend college, and I am a straight-A student. I have many goals that I wish to accomplish after high school and I believe the dual enrollment program is giving me a leg up in reaching those goals. I do want to attend a school in the University of California system and I have been accepted into a few schools, but I am currently undecided on my major. I know that I want to work in the medical field, but whether I work with animals or humans is still up in the air.

League Staff
Congratulations! What university are you most excited about being accepted into?

Lily Alvarez
I am still evaluating my options but, as of right now, I am most excited about and will probably be attending the University of California, Davis for their large range of medical field programs. 

League Staff
That sounds great! UC Davis would be very lucky to have you join their campus community.

What do you look forward to most about being a full-time college student?

Lily Alvarez
Science Labs and the academic ambiance. If I had to choose just one, I’d say that I most look forward to being surrounded by a group of my peers who are just as willing to learn as I am.

League Staff
We’re sure you’ll fit into college life quite well. Which college is currently partnered with your high school and how did you find out about the dual enrollment program?

Lily Alvarez
We’re partnered with Shasta College in Redding. My high school does a great job promoting the program to the juniors (11th graders). They even encourage us to take courses over the summer at the Shasta College campus to further progress our academic profiles.

League Staff
That sounds incredible. For dual enrollment partnerships to be successful, high schools must take an active role in advertising to their students, so they know about the program. It sounds like your high school is doing a good job getting the word out.

How many college credits have you earned? And how many will you have earned by the end of this academic year?

Lily Alvarez
At the end of my high school career, I will have taken a total of six classes, a total of 16 units. One of my teachers helped me tally the units/classes and we concluded that I’ve taken well over a semester's worth of college classes. It’s really given me a leg up and will be saving me a lot of money once I start at a 4-year university.

League Staff
That’s a great point, and the main purpose of a program like the one you are in is to create seamless pathways from high school to college. Dual enrollment was created to reduce time to degree completion, increase college attainment and help close achievement gaps for underrepresented students. Shasta College and Redwoods High School are very lucky to have you as a student.

You mentioned you’ve taken six courses, what types of courses were they?

Lily Alvarez
My first course was History 17A. History is my least favorite course, so I wanted to get it out of the way as soon as possible. I’ve also taken courses like Health Occupation, Intro to Medical Careers, and some math classes.

League Staff
How big are your class sizes?

Lily Alvarez
The class sizes are fairly small. I think the biggest class I’ve had was about 30 students. My math and medical field classes are only 16 or 18 students, so they are more intimate.

League Staff
Sounds like you’ve had great interactions with your college professors then?

Lily Alvarez
Absolutely! I had access to my professors when I needed them, and I made sure to take advantage of one-on-one time and their expertise.

League Staff
Fantastic, as you should. What was your reason for taking college course work during high school?

Lily Alvarez
I was interested in earning college credit. Many of my peers did not and many still do not know what they want to do when they get to college. I did not want that for myself, so I chose to seek out my options. Dual enrollment has really helped me narrow my choices. I may not have decided on my major, but I at least know which direction I am going. Dual enrollment has definitely given me an advantage.

League Staff
Many students often do not know what they want to do and take years in college trying to figure it out. You may not know your major but at the very least you have a clear pathway you want to follow. Kudos to you.

What do you think are some other benefits to dual enrollment?

Lily Alvarez
Some of the benefits, in my opinion, are that students get to save money. We get taught by great professors. We get to accelerate our college career, and I think the most valuable one is that we get a leg up on adjusting to college.

League Staff
Absolutely, the adjustment from high school to college can be difficult for some. So, would you say that dual enrollment has changed your perspective on college?

Lily Alvarez
Oh yeah, I do not mean to sound facetious, but I’ve gained a lot of confidence by taking college courses. Before participating in dual enrollment, I was scared about the transition and whether or not I would be able to handle it. I now know that I can handle it and can confidently say that thanks to dual enrollment, I have gained study and learning habits that will allow me to be successful in college.

League Staff
So, would you recommend dual enrollment to other students?

Lily Alvarez
I would definitely encourage it and even promote it to my peers. 

League Staff
Well, thank you for your time, Lily. Do you have any last comments you would like to share?

Lily Alvarez
Thank you for hearing me out and I’m really grateful for this program.

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