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Students credit courses for college experience

Some Okotoks-area high school students already have their foot into a post-secondary institution. Isaac Gund, an Okotoks Grade 10 home school student, is taking a first-year college course — while earning high school credits at the same time.
Isaac Gund studies his Business Marketing course offered through Bow Valley College. Gund, a Centre For Learning student, is earning credits for both high school and college.
Isaac Gund studies his Business Marketing course offered through Bow Valley College. Gund, a Centre For Learning student, is earning credits for both high school and college.

Some Okotoks-area high school students already have their foot into a post-secondary institution.

Isaac Gund, an Okotoks Grade 10 home school student, is taking a first-year college course — while earning high school credits at the same time. Gund, a Centre for Learning student through Christ the Redeemer Catholic Schools, is taking the university course Business Marketing to go along with his high school studies.

“I took an entrepreneur camp in the summer and I really enjoyed it,” Gund said. “It really inspired me, and I thought: ‘Hey they gave me this option, why don’t I try it out.’”

The option was to take Bow Valley College courses on-line while attending high school.

As the subject matter is applicable to high school options, Gund is getting five high school credits as well as three university credits for the Business Marketing course.

Gund is one of approximately 75 high school students in the province taking Bow Valley dual credit courses. There are about 20 with Foothills and CTR Catholic school divisions, said Jerry Farwell, dual credit manager for Bow Valley College.

“It gives kids a taste of college or university, so before they get there they have a better understanding of what it is all about,” he said. “And, for some kids it’s a real chance to say ‘hey I can do this — I can handle college. I’m going to go to college now.’”

He said research shows students who have taken dual credit courses have a higher success rate in post-secondary institution than those who haven’t.

Farwell said he believes the dual-credit program is an added incentive for students to finish high school.

The four dual credit courses being offered to Okotoks area students are Introduction to Management, Business Law, Business Marketing and Entrepreneurship. Students who complete all four courses earn a Bow Valley business certificate. The courses are also transferable to the universities of Lethbridge and Athabasca.

Oilfields High School student Austin Caron certainly looked the part for the profession he wants to pursue, as the well-attired Grade 12 student had his tie on for school on Nov. 4.

“I took Business Law last year and I’m taking marketing this year,” said Caron who hopes to be a lawyer. “In my mind it gives me an edge. When I applied to Mount Royal and the University of Calgary, they asked me have I ever been enrolled at post-secondary.

“And I have.”

Oilfields started offering dual credit courses through Bow Valley College in January. Caron admitted adding a post-secondary course to high school does mean time management becomes an issue.

“I did a lot of it online so I did most of it at home,” Caron said. “I had a project that was due yesterday, and it affected my English and Math, but only because I procrastinated.

“But I was able to get back on it… This has helped me to prioritize and put me in a better position to be aware of my time.”

Caron is given the material at Oilfields, but the school is basically a facilitator for Bow Valley.

“We provide the resources that Austin needs to be successful in the course, but Austin deals directly with the instructor at BVC,” said Oilfields teacher Darald Lavallie. He said the program will benefit students when they make a bigger leap into post-secondary education.

“I see students being able to make an easier transition from high school into post-secondary,” he said. “It gives them familiarity of the workload involved in a post-secondary school.”

Gund is pumped to be taking the dual credit courses.

“I highly recommend it. It expands your world a bit, that there is opportunity out there,” Gund said.

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