Fifteen recent graduates of Stella High Charter Academy in the West Athens area will receive a combined 27 associate degrees Tuesday from Los Angeles Southwest College, capping an academic achievement that allows many of them to enter four-year universities with junior standing.
The students already have earned their high school diplomas and are among a small percentage of teenagers nationwide to graduate with college degrees before beginning full-time university studies, according to school officials.
Most of the graduates are first-generation college students, and school officials said many come from families for whom the rising cost of higher education presents a significant challenge.
Among the graduates is 18-year-old valedictorian Omar Soto, who will receive associate degrees in interdisciplinary studies: social and behavioral sciences and liberal studies: teacher preparation, according to school officials.
Soto, the son of immigrants, plans to attend USC, where he will study electrical engineering with a minor in construction management.
“My story began with my parents’ courage,” Soto said in a statement. “After losing my older brother, they made the difficult decision to leave everything behind and come to the United States in search of hope and opportunity. Their resilience taught me that challenges can become motivation.”
The students earned their college credentials through a dual-enrollment partnership with Los Angeles Southwest College while attending Stella High Charter Academy. School officials said the number of students earning both high school and college credentials more than doubled from seven last year to 15 this year.
Students in the graduating class have been accepted to UCLA, USC, UC Irvine, UC Davis, UC San Diego, UC Merced, Chapman University, Loyola Marymount University and Cal State Dominguez Hills.
“For many first-generation families, college can feel out of reach,” said Erick Salazar, Stella High’s dual-degree program coordinator. “These students are proving that where you come from does not determine where you can go. They’re graduating with college degrees, confidence and a clear path to their future.”
Los Angeles Southwest College’s commencement ceremony is scheduled for 4 p.m. Tuesday.