Seward County Community College is the fastest growing community college in Kansas, with enrollment on the rise. And Ulysses High School is a big part of that growth.
When UHS students cross the stage during graduation May 17, fourteen of them will already hold their associate’s degree or have a full two-year scholarship in hand. Those students were recognized during the May 2 Grant County Chamber of Commerce’s weekly Chamber Coffee which took place at the Ulysses High School gymnasium concession area.
“One of our most important goals at the high school is to help prepare students to be outstanding citizens,” said Ulysses High School principal Justin Coffey. “We help many of our students either decide to stay here in Grant County, or go off for a little while, learn some things, and come back and really help our community grow and be the best county it can.”
Coffey said that can’t happen without key partnerships such as the school enjoys with Seward County Community College. He said having a high school diploma is important, but also an associate’s degree or a certificate in a trade.
“Having that second piece of paper can really help our kids grow up to be successful, contributing members of our community,” Coffey said. “We try and help get students that first piece of paper with the high school graduation, but that second piece of paper is also very, very important.”
Fourteen UHS seniors were honored for their dual credit enrollment at Seward County Community College.
“All of that is only possible through our partnership with Seward County,” Coffey said. “They offer a lot of great opportunities for our students where they can be students here, but really get access to that post-secondary education at the same time they’re students here at Ulysses High School.”
Seward County Community College representatives in Ulysses May 2 were Director of Business Administration Norma Jean Dodge; Executive Director of Enrollment Management Erica Espinoza; Outreach Director Laura Rosales, and Seward County Community College President Brad Bennett.
“We’ve launched an initiative to expand enrollment,” Bennett said. “We’re up 34 percdent in the last three years, so we’re the fastest growing college in Kansas across all sectors. “I’m very excited about that.”
Bennett said the college put an initiative in place to improve its dual credit high school enrollment, and 14 of those are from Ulysses.
“It’s amazing when we see this, it blows me away,” Bennett said. “That’s what I dream, that’s what I envision, and that’s what I got here.”
With the Saints Ahead Scholarship the UHS students received a steeply discounted tuition rate.
“Our goal is to expand education,” Bennett added. “Hopefully these two years, the students were able to get a head start on their competition. They’ll be competing against other people for jobs. That’s how the world works.”
Erica Espinoza announced two scholarship winners from UHS who will receive a full ride at Seward County Community College. The Senior Scholar Award was presented to Nayeli Romero, and the Presidential Scholarship award was presented to Kayla Hernandez.
Among the 14 dual credit students who will graduate High School with their Associate of Science Degree from Seward County and recognized by UHS liaison to SCCC Lori Barnes were Fatima Carrillo, Emily Dodge, Mariela Franco, Natalia Jasso, Brittany Navarrete, Alexi Ornelas, Cindy Reza, Ximynalee Rojas, Samantha Scott, Clarissa Sianuqui, Natalia Sifuentes, Oscar Soto, Jose Tarango, and Sol Villar.
“To obtain the associate’s degree, students have to have at least 30 hours of general education classes plus 30 hours of electives,” Barnes said. “Most of these students have exceeded the 60 hours total.”
Coffey recognized Barnes for her hard work on behalf of the students at UHS.
“To make all of this happen was a tremendous amount of work and organization and poking and prodding students, making sure they have scores they need to get into classes,” Coffey added. “It’s a lot of management and cheerleading and getting students in the spot they need to be (and) finding out what their goal is and helping them get to that goal.
“Lori Barnes does a lot of work here at Ulysses High School to help make sure our students are getting the opportunities they want and that they need.”
In other business:
•Robin Leonard presented weekly announcements in the absence of Chamber Director Marieta Hauser, beginning with Grow Well Community Gardens. The K-State Extension office has garden plots for rent at Barb Dye Park at a cost of $10 per plot, which includes water. Pre-planted plots are also available by calling Grant County Extension Office at (620) 356-1721.
•The City of Ulysses is creating a new public park on Main Street called Unity Plaza, and to raise money, the city is creating a public art space at Frazier Park. Donors of $1,000 or more will own a “Peace Pole” they can decorate, paint and maintain. Call the city at (620) 356-4600 for more information.
•The second annual Summer Kickoff will begin at 6 p.m., May 30 in downtown Ulysses and includes music, food trucks, beer garden, games and activities.
•The Citywide garage sale is June 6-7. Add your address to the Chamber to be added to the newspaper.
•There will be no Chamber Coffee this week.
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