Gateway Early College Hs Earns Pathways to Higher Education Award

Unique high school/college hybrid on the campus of GateWay CC is recognized for student success

PHOENIX, Arizona – GateWay Early College High School (GWECHS), a division of GateWay Community College, was recently awarded the Pathways to Higher Education Award for the school’s success at transitioning students from high school to college. The award was presented by The Arizona Commission for Postsecondary Education, USA Funds, University of Phoenix, and GEAR UP Arizona.

State Senator John Huppenthal and Representative Rich Crandell presented the award to GateWay Early College High School principal Lisa Smith, teacher Karen Hawkes, and counselor Joel Laurin at the Developing Human Capital conference in November. GWECHS is very proud to accept the award on behalf of the early college faculty, staff and students.

“We (GWECHS) were thrilled to hear that we had won; our teachers and students work very hard to accomplish a great deal and it is nice to be recognized for it,” said Lisa Smith, the high school’s principal. “Our school’s success shows that students can accomplish more than anyone expects with support from great teachers and support staff.”

The commission recognized GWECHS as an outstanding K-12 program. The school is a unique college/high school hybrid that identifies and supports underrepresented students from the local community whose goal is to attend college but may have significant barriers to achieving that dream.

By blending high school and college in a rigorous yet supportive program, GWECHS enables students to come within one semester of earning an Associate’s Degree, a Certificate of Completion, or have enough college credits from GateWay Community College to transfer to a university as a junior upon graduation from GWECHS. All of this is provided at no cost to the student or their family.

Smith added that GWECHS is a Performing Plus, Title I school that has increased its AIMS scores by 75 percent over the past five years. The high school also boasts a low dropout rate of 1.4 percent and an attendance rate of 94 percent.

GateWay Early College High School’s most recent graduating class, which consisted of 20 seniors this past May, accumulated 495.5 college credits between all of its students.

For more information about GateWay Early College High School, visit www.gatewaycc.edu/ECHS.

Published on behalf of GateWay Community College
As one of the Maricopa Community Colleges, GateWay Community College is a fully accredited public institution of higher education located in Phoenix, Ariz. Offering over 100 Certificate and Associate Degree programs in the areas of Business and Information Technology, Health Sciences, Industrial Technology, Nursing and University Transfer, GateWay has emerged as a leading institution to meet the needs of business and industry. Visit www.gatewaycc.edu or call 602-286-8046 for more information.

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