Lee's Summit Journal

These 2017 grads have two years of college behind them

Several area students earned their high school diplomas and college associate’s degrees at the same time by taking courses through the Missouri Innovation Campus at Summit Technology Academy. Pictured (from left) are Spencer Werremeyer, Lee’s Summit North High School, software development major, employed at NIC; Cody DeMent, Lee’s Summit West High School, software development major, employed at NIC; Shane Tenorio, Raytown South High School, software development major, employed at Cerner Corp.; Kirk Nooks, president of Metropolitan Community College-Longview; Natan Garcia, Raytown South High School, software development major, employed at DST Systems; Thilon Berry, Center High School, software development major, employed at AWNIX; Jack Bliss, Blue Springs South High School, systems engineering major, employed at Alexander Open Systems; and Matthew Feith, Raymore-Peculiar High School, systems engineering major, employed at VML.
Several area students earned their high school diplomas and college associate’s degrees at the same time by taking courses through the Missouri Innovation Campus at Summit Technology Academy. Pictured (from left) are Spencer Werremeyer, Lee’s Summit North High School, software development major, employed at NIC; Cody DeMent, Lee’s Summit West High School, software development major, employed at NIC; Shane Tenorio, Raytown South High School, software development major, employed at Cerner Corp.; Kirk Nooks, president of Metropolitan Community College-Longview; Natan Garcia, Raytown South High School, software development major, employed at DST Systems; Thilon Berry, Center High School, software development major, employed at AWNIX; Jack Bliss, Blue Springs South High School, systems engineering major, employed at Alexander Open Systems; and Matthew Feith, Raymore-Peculiar High School, systems engineering major, employed at VML. Photo provided

By virtue of their enrollment at Summit Technology Academy, a handful of 2017 high school graduates have already earned their associate’s degrees in addition to their high school diplomas.

The associate’s degrees come from Metropolitan Community College, which is part of the Missouri Innovation Campus at the Summit Technology Academy operated by the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District. Through the Missouri Innovation Campus, students can accelerate the time it takes to graduate from college while participating in paid high-tech internships and dramatically reducing the cost of a four-year degree.

Besides MCC, the other collaborators in the Missouri Innovation Campus are area businesses, the R-7 district and the University of Central Missouri, which offers college courses in Lee’s Summit.

This story was originally published July 11, 2017 at 6:03 PM with the headline "These 2017 grads have two years of college behind them."

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