By Susan Tolleson, JCCC
As Grace Palcic heads to clerk for a federal judge in Delaware, the Johnson County Community College (JCCC) alum reflects on where it all began—when she graduated from JCCC and her high school two days apart.
Thanks to JCCC’s College Now program, Palcic received her Associate of Arts from the college at the same time she graduated from Olathe North. Since then, she has earned a bachelor’s degree from K-State, interned at the U.S. State Department, received her law degree from the University of California, Irvine, passed the California bar, and worked for a major law firm. Now, she is about to begin a yearlong federal clerkship with a District Court Judge in Delaware.
What is College Now?
College Now is JCCC’s concurrent enrollment program, which allows high school students to take college-level classes and earn college credit while still in their high school classrooms. Most of the courses College Now students take build into an Associate of Arts degree, which is designed for students who plan to eventually earn a bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university.
College Now saved time and money at K-State
Palcic believes having College Now classes on her resume helped set her apart from other candidates. “During interviews, they wanted to know why I took college courses in high school and how I was even able to do that.”
College Now also made it possible for her to graduate from K-State in two-and-a-half years. “It was nice to jump right into classes in my major and only have to take one general education class.”
Early college experience set her apart
In addition to College Now classes at her high school, Palcic took some college classes on campus. She says JCCC gave her experiences and opportunities most big universities don’t provide, especially to first- and second-year students. She also liked the smaller class sizes, which helped her feel more comfortable asking questions and engaging with the material at JCCC.
“I loved the variety of people I met and the experiences I had at JCCC,” said Palcic. “People choose to be there because they want to learn.”
More ways to earn college credit in high school
College Now is not the only way area high school students can earn college credit from JCCC. For students who want to come to JCCC’s campus, there are ways to earn college credit through the Career Ready and Dual Degree programs.
Career Ready students come to JCCC for half their school day and can earn a certificate in a career and technical education field like industrial technology, culinary arts, or cybersecurity, etc., at the same time they graduate with their high school diploma. Students must be enrolled at a partner high school to participate.
With Dual Degree, if students start as a high school junior, they could receive their associate degree at the same time they receive their high school diploma. These students take all their classes at JCCC during their junior and senior years of high school.
Learn more
Learn about all the ways to earn college credit in high school through JCCC at jccc.edu/earlycollege.
