December 16, 2021 – Today was the end-of-semester Celebration for Decatur Public School’s Prep Academy students at Eisenhower and MacArthur High Schools. The Prep Academy is in its inaugural year with the plan for students to complete their goals of graduating high school with a high school diploma as well as an Associate’s Degree from Richland Community College. Students complete a full 16-week course in their first semester of the program.
Jessica Pickel, Dean of Liberal Arts at Richland Community College, was in attendance at the celebration today. To get an idea of what the Prep Academy entails, she explained, “Students start slowly with some development courses to get an introduction to what college is and what the expectations are. The intention is that while students are taking their high school coursework, they are also taking dual-credit courses that meet requirements for both. During their Junior year, they will transition out to Richland Community College to enroll part of the day at Richland through the transfer academy with Richland professors.” she said.
When asked about the first semester of the Academy, Mychael Johns, a freshman at Eisenhower, said, “I would suggest this type of thing to any incoming freshman. It’s a great opportunity and I’ve made some real true friends here and it has overall been a really good experience that has been fun. I find that the Prep Academy isn’t just some college classes in high school. It’s more of a social event where you find true friends and helpers and in the end, everyone feels like family.” said Johns.
For more information on the Prep Academy, go HERE.
