High School, Sports, Clubs and College for this Busy Teen
Life for this Irwin County High School junior has been a little busy this year. Abigail Blanchett is learning early how to balance life – while she’s in high school. Not only is she active in high school activities, but she is also a college student at Wiregrass Georgia Technical College.
Abigail decided to take college classes through the Move on When Ready (MOWR) program at Wiregrass because she saw it as a great opportunity to get ahead. “I wanted to get a year of college out of the way and with no tuition or fees for my classes, I knew this would help my parents out,” shared Blanchett. She began taking college classes at the beginning of her junior year in high school and started with English 1101 and Sociology. During Spring Semester she took English 1102 and United States History. When asked how she balances both high school classes and college course requirements she answered, “It’s hard, but if you want something bad enough, you’ll get it done.”
This “get it done” attitude has certainly helped Abigail over the years. She has been in the top 10 of her class since 9th grade, and is a member of the BETA club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Student Council, Thespians, Literary, One Act, and is on the varsity soccer team. She shared her secret as to how she balances the demands of high school, college, extra-curricular activities along with playing a high school sport. “It is a struggle at times, both soccer and school are very important to me. I’ve always been told that the things that are important to us, we’ll make time somehow for them.” She doesn’t watch much television anymore and doesn’t get on social media. Abigail feels taking college classes while in high school will help her future when gets ready to enter college full-time after high school. She knows she would like to do something in the medical field, but is not sure what that will be just yet.
In FY16 Wiregrass saved parents in the college’s 11-county service area over $2 million in tuition and fees by enrolling early in college. Students during 2015-2016 earned 12,375 college credits by enrolling at Wiregrass while in high school. The MOWR is available to all 9th – 12th graders, regardless of age. MOWR funding covers 100 percent of tuition, fees are exempted, and textbooks are provided. Degree level courses are transferable to colleges in the University System and Technical College System of Georgia. MOWR classes do not count against HOPE or Zell Miller HOPE Scholarship and Grant caps. Wiregrass is currently enrolling high school students for a short seven-week Summer Express Semester. Classes will begin May 30 and end the last week of July. To enroll into Summer Express, contact Stacey Prescott (Valdosta campus) 229-259-5180 or by email at Stacey.prescott@wiregrass.edu, or Andrea Fletcher (Ben Hill-Irwin Campus) 229-468-2049 or email at andrea.fletcher@wiregrass.edu . Also visit www.wiregrass.edu or call 229-333-2100.