On Saturday, March 27, 30 eighth grade students and their families gathered at Tulsa Community College's Northeast Campus to celebrate. These 30 students have been accepted to the earn a degree, graduate early (EDGE) program that will launch at McLain High School and Memorial High School in the 2021-2022 school year.

"We’re excited to be a partner with Tulsa Public Schools and welcome you to what will be a wonderful and challenging opportunity to complete a two-year college degree with no student debt," said Tulsa Community College President Dr. Leigh Goodson in her opening remarks. 

The earn a degree, graduate early program allows students to complete an associate's degree free of charge while in high school.

"Over and over and over again, we talk about this unpreceded moment, this time in history that we are living. We’re coming out the other end of it. We can feel that, right? But you guys aren’t just strolling out of that moment. You are busting out of that moment because you are taking a step today that is hugely life changing," Superintendent Deborah Gist told students in her keynote address.

The students will take classes at their high school and at the Tulsa Community College campus, and they will have the option to get a liberal arts degree or a pre-STEM degree. 

At the signing ceremony, students got advice from three panelists who shared their experience in early college programs. Mediy Pierre-Louis, who completed a similar program in Florida, shared different pathways this opens for students after high school. By graduating with an associate's degree, students can start a career right out of high school, go to a university part-time but still graduate on-time, go full-time but start with more opportunities that a freshman would have, or a myriad of other options.

"The world of opportunities are open to you. There's no one particular path that you are limited to. You can really do anything," said Mediy.

After hearing from the speakers, each student was called up to sign their certificate and take photos with their family and their current and future principals. After the ceremony concluded, students had the opportunity to tour the campus.

The EDGE class of 2025 includes students from eleven middle schools. Those students are:

McLain High School

• Alexabeth Trujillo
• Aubrey Johnson
• Casey Perez
• Dafne Gomez
• Dejuan Hill
• Helia Alirezadolabi
• Jose Cruz
• Kayla Sarrion
• Martreveon Creggett
• Nadia Arita
• Nemiah Haynes
• Nicolas Lopez-Alspach
• Yalitza Hernandez
• Imani Ballard
• Leslie Benitez

Memorial High School

• Antonio Hutch
• Emilio Garcia
• Hannah Hobbs
• Antonio Love
• Jaida Marler
• Andrea Renteria
• Angelina Hathcoat
• Juan Fajardo
• Sydney Holt
• Rhoda Odawa
• Corina Crowl
• Ruben Garcia
• Tristan Vasquez
• Elijah Brown
• David Untila

The live stream of the signing day is available here, and highlights can be viewed below. There is also a photo album of the event on Flickr. For more information about the program, click here.