LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Go forth and achieve your dreams. That’s the message juniors and seniors at Cheyenne High School are getting.
“I want to be an English teacher. I want to give back what my teachers gave to me,” said junior Jovanni Corrilo.
The students are getting a chance to help make their dreams a reality thanks to a program allowing some high school students to enroll in college classes at the University of Nevada, Reno.
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“Whatever dream they have, they can come true. They just got to work for it,” said Brian Sandoval, UNR president. "And I’m really proud of them."
He says juniors who start in their first semester can earn up to 15 credits, which is about a year of college.
High school students can take three courses each semester on top of their normal schoolwork. Sandoval says this gives them a head start and saves families money on college while creating well-prepared students.
“It really gives them the confidence to succeed and take that level of work,” he said.
Confidence that students say will help them overcome fears.
“A lot of us kids are scared to go into college and just being able to experience it is helping us out,” said Victoria Gallegos, another junior at Cheyenne.
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It’s help that could open new doors for students who may have not thought about college in the first place.
“Many families don’t have what their child needs to attend college, so I feel like getting the opportunity to achieve that college credit, it really helps,” said junior Deonte Brewer.
The program is being rolled out at Cheyenne and Centennial high schools, allowing about 450 students to take part.
