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Administrator’s Corner by Jeff Halverson

With the arrival of spring and unexpectedly warm weather in Minnesota, the graduation season for our Albert Lea High School students is just around the corner. This time brings a mix of excitement and a bit of nervous anticipation for both the graduates and their families. Fortunately, a wave of positivity is sweeping through Albert Lea, and it’s not solely due to the weather. The recent launch of the Freeborn County Promise Scholarship has contributed to this upbeat atmosphere. A heartfelt thanks to the numerous individuals, businesses, and organizations that collaborated to bring this scholarship to life for our students. Your generosity is already making an impact at the high school, particularly among our 12th-grade students.

During my experiences at the high school last week, where I took part in mock interviews with 12th-grade students enrolled in Everyday English, Youth Apprenticeship, and Diversified Work Internship classes, the Freeborn County Promise Scholarship was the hot topic. This new scholarship is for the graduates from Freeborn County high schools (starting with the class of 2024), offering them the chance to earn up to 65 credits tuition-free. For those curious to learn more, I would invite you to visit their website: Riverland.edu.

The year-long Everyday English course at ALHS not only satisfies the 12th-grade English graduation requirement but is also designed for students preparing for the workforce or pursuing a technical/vocational degree. The Youth Apprenticeship and Diversified Work Internship classes are both Work Based Learning (WBL) programs in which students receive both high school credit and wages (from their employer) for working in our community. A licensed Work Based Learning Coordinator oversees students involved in the WBL opportunities.

As my mock interviews wrapped up, I shifted from the ‘mock interview employer’ role to ask about students’ plans after graduation. Though my interactions represent a small sample, the responses I got echoed a theme of confidence and assurance about life after high school, a sentiment I hadn’t observed to this extent in prior years. Many students specifically mentioned the Freeborn County Promise scholarship and identified Riverland as their intended destination upon their high school graduation.

As the Freeborn County Promise Scholarship embarks on its journey, I expect our graduates, each with diverse post-graduation aspirations, to embrace this opportunity as they begin this next chapter in their stories. I have personally spoken with current 12th-grade students who expressed their intentions to pursue vocational training through this scholarship and the programs available at Riverland. ALHS school counselors have also informed me that students with a range of educational goals, from Bachelor’s to graduate programs, are contemplating using this scholarship to attend Riverland before furthering their education.

In addition to the Freeborn County Promise Scholarship opportunity for students, Albert Lea High School has a longstanding partnership with Riverland via the College in the Schools programming. This academic program, funded through the MN Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act, enables our 11th and 12th-grade students to take free, college-level courses at ALHS taught by ALHS teachers. These opportunities are made possible by ALHS teachers who have completed significant graduate coursework, qualifying them to teach advanced courses in their area of licensure.

This year, an impressive 77 students from the ALHS graduating class of 2024 earned college credits via Riverland while taking classes within the high school. Among them, 54 students will graduate with 15 or more semester college credits, and remarkably, 26 of these will graduate with more than 30 semester credits. To put this into perspective, 30 credits roughly equate to a full year of credits at the college level.

The College in the Schools program brings substantial financial benefits to students and their families. Translated into tuition credit equivalents, the ALHS class of 2024 is set to graduate with approximately $365,000 in equivalent Riverland Community College credits. If students choose to transfer these credits to other colleges/universities, the class of 2024 could potentially graduate, in one regional example, with approximately $555,000 in equivalent Minnesota State University, Mankato tuition credits.

Whether our graduating students have participated in the College in the Schools program at ALHS, plan to take advantage of the Freeborn County Promise Scholarship, or have the opportunity to participate in both, they will be leaving ALHS with significant momentum and promise as their educational journey continues.

Jeff Halverson is the executive director of careers, technology and innovation for Albert Lea Area Schools.