There’s a new school in Bertie County, and it’s preparing students for college in a whole new way. When the school opened its doors to the first freshman class in the fall of 2008, nine students embarked on a new path in life.

Some students want to be engineers, a few veterinarians, others graphic designers and a number of them horticulturalists. What’s unique about this group of students is they are only freshmen in high school, but they’ve already started working on their career plans and college credits.

The idea for Bertie County Early College Agriscience High School began in 2007 when Dr. Chip Zullinger had the idea to incorporate the area’s agricultural roots with high school education and the promotion of higher education. The decision was made to create a high school program in conjunction with North Carolina State University that would focus on agricultural science.

“There are a lot of N.C. State grads in Bertie County, and making N.C. State a partner seemed like a natural fit based on the economy in the county,” says James Guard, a teacher at the school. “We created this as a platform for the kids to gain the skills they need to go off to a four-year university and then give them a reason to come back. It’s all part of helping them to become productive citizens.”

Students of the school are required to take a standard curriculum in addition to the specialized agriscience classes they take. Their classes, however, are honors-level courses.

Each student will graduate with a high school diploma, two years’ worth of transferable college credits, a focused career path and an unparalleled experience.

“The two years of college credit they receive is general, but we give their studies an ag focus,” school counselor Susan Harris says. “At the university level, they are equipped for a broad range of majors. We want them to see how they can apply biotechnology and agriculture, but we don’t want to close doors.”

“I have a great head start on what I want to do,” says freshman Erick Bowen. “I like the smaller classes, the one-on-one interaction and the teachers are really good sources of information.”

Students at the school are also involved in FFA. Guard says this teaches them the core values of the FFA program—premier leadership, personal growth and career success. “Those are skills all employers look for, and we want to give the kids a chance to be competitive.”

The school is public and the education is offered free of charge, but there is an application and interview process for students who wish to attend. “We want to make sure their goals and level of commitment are in line with what the program provides and requires,” Guard says.

When evaluating students applying for the school, there are certain qualities administrators look for. “We look for students who are interested in agriscience and biotechnology and have a strong desire to go to college,” Harris says.

Additionally, administrators look for students who will be the first generation in their families to attend college. “If the kid has a desire to go to college, we develop the vehicle for it,” Harris says.

Freshman Cameron Perry said his mom heard about the program and encouraged him to apply. “Not only will it help me get into a better college, but I also get two years of free college education,” Perry says. “I’m getting what I need to help me move ahead.”

“We’re truly blind to background,” Guard adds. “If the kids want to go to college and are willing to bust their behinds to get there, we want to offer them that opportunity.”

In order to help the students prepare for the college experience, teachers incorporate pre-college activities so the transition will be a smooth process. “We want to turn it up and challenge them so it’s not a culture shock when they go off to college,” Guard says.

To do this, students communicate via e-mail, and the recreational use of electronic devices is permitted. “We’re a little more relaxed,” Guard says. “But it teaches them personal decision-making and offers them a little more independence.”

Students also complete Supervised Agricultural Experiences, or SAEs, to help them develop
their career interests. SAEs are hands-on projects in a specific area of focus aimed toward giving the students real-world experience.

The teaching style also requires a different approach. “There is a lot of independent study,” Guard says. “A lot of what we do is project-based. We tell them when a project is due and show them what they’ve got to do to get to that point, but there isn’t a lot of hand-holding.”

Freshman Phillip White says the experience has been different than what he would have had at a traditional school. “We learn how to have intelligent conversation and how to talk things out when we disagree. We can share our opinions, and it’s more than talking about what we’re going to do when we get out of school.”