Early College Programs Highlighted at Germanna's Spring Commencement

Community college awards 1,307 degrees and credentials.

by Adele Uphaus
MANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT

Ava Conway is just 18 years old, but as of next week, she’ll have both her high school and associates degree and will be positioned to enter a four-year university as a junior.

“I wanted the opportunity to get ahead and earn my associate degree before I moved on to a four-year university," said Conway, who was the featured speaker at Germanna Community College’s Spring 2024 Commencement Ceremony on Tuesday evening.

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"I decided to apply to Germanna, and after attending I realized that it was the change that I needed. The faculty and staff showed that they cared for the students and wanted them to succeed… It was good to know that I had people around me whose goal was not to make my classes as difficult as possible, but to help me learn and succeed, and get my degree."

Conway is graduating from both Germanna and Culpeper’s Eastern View High School this month. She is deciding between three universities for the fall and plans to major in fine arts and become a drama teacher.

The early college program that helped Conway get ahead is Germanna Scholars, which was established and supported by Joe Daniel and his wife, Linda, with the goal of helping students achieve higher education degrees while staying in Culpeper.

Students take courses at Germanna’s Daniel Center, as well as at their home high school.

Conway was one of 867 students who earned a total of 1,307 degrees and credentials at Germanna’s spring commencement ceremony.

Left: Germanna graduate Rebecca Rudder with her son. Photo by Bryant Cox. Right: graduates celebrate on Tuesday, May 7. Photo by Suzanne Rossi.

Germanna offers three early college programs. In addition to Germanna Scholars, there is the Gladys P. Todd Academy and the new Future Educators Academy. 

The Todd Academy serves juniors and seniors in Spotsylvania County and the city of Fredericksburg. Students attend Germanna’s Fredericksburg campus from Chancellor, Courtland, Massaponax, Riverbend, Spotsylvania, and James Monroe high schools.

The Future Educators Academy is a college partnership lab school for future elementary and special education teachers, held at the Daniel Center in Culpeper for students from Culpeper County, Eastern View, Orange County, Madison County and Rappahannock high schools.

Thanks to transfer agreements with James Madison University and the University of Mary Washington, graduates of the Future Educators Academy can leave high school and go straight into their junior year of college, preparing them to earn their teacher licensure in two years.

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