Dual credit program helps young mom achieve career goals

Nov. 23, 2015

 

Karalissa Schroeder’s first attempt at taking a dual credit was short-lived. She had to withdraw from the course when she discovered she was pregnant. But now with a three-year-old daughter and a two-year-old son, Karalissa is enrolled in full-time studies thanks to the help of the dual credit program.

The 21-year-old will tell you she was a good student, but she didn’t attend her Muskoka high school very much. When she entered the 2014-15 academic year, she needed 15 credits to graduate from high school. But Karalissa was determined to make it happen. She signed up for two dual credits at Georgian’s Muskoka Campus in Bracebridge, and went to the Trillium Lakelands District School Board adult education and training centre to get the rest.

It turns out one of the dual credit courses led her to a career choice. The Essential Body is an anatomy and physiology course from the Personal Support Worker (PSW) program. Karalissa is very proud of her 82 per cent final mark. And she’s very happy that now that she is enrolled full-time in the PSW program, she is exempt from the course.

“The Essential Body is the toughest course in semester one. I work almost full-time and I have two kids to care for. I wouldn’t be as successful without the lighter course load,” she says. “I also knew what to expect at college. It’s a very big change from high school. There is no leeway with deadlines.”

When her daughter was born, Karalissa set herself a goal of completing high school before her daughter entered kindergarten. “I passed that goal,” she says proudly. “I will have graduated college before she starts school!”

Karalissa plans to enter the Practical Nursing program at Georgian. It seems likely she will reach that goal as well, thanks in part to the School College Work Initiative.