Breana Smith of Sumpter Township, who celebrated her 16th birthday on March 24, recently was named to the Dean’s List for the Fall 2011 Semester at Eastern Michigan University.
This was the first time she qualified for the Dean’s List, which required being enrolled for a certain number of college credits. By the end of this semester she will have 38 credits at EMU.
Breana is the daughter of Gary and Marion Smith of Elwell Road. She has been pretty-much home-schooled until joining the Early College Alliance at EMU.
She technically is a junior at Milan High School, although she has never attended that school. She will probably graduate early from Milan, with a high school diploma, since her requirements will be completed through the ECA program.
With the ECA program, the cooperating high school gets 15% of the per-pupil state aid and EMU gets the rest. Breana doesn’t have to pay tuition or buy books, since it is paid through state aid.
The ECA program allows high school students to take classes at EMU, while still being a high school student, proving the theory that students can successfully take high school and college classes at the same time.
Several high schools in Washtenaw County participate in ECA, including Ann Arbor and the Washtenaw Intermediate School District. Each high school gets a certain number of slots in the program.
The beginning ECA courses teach the basics of college learning, making sure the student has the skills to succeed.
Marion Smith said under ECA, a student can earn up to 60 credits, which is half of a bachelor’s degree. She said it is very much appreciated since college tuition costs are so high.
Breana attended Kindergarten at Summit Academy and Bethany, but then was home-schooled as a first grader. She went to Keystone Academy for second grade, but only stayed three weeks. She has been home schooled since then, until starting her EMU classes, which provide both high school and college credits.
Breana is in a home-school choir and the Bethany Bible Church choir. She attends Bethany Church, takes music and vocal lessons, and does competitive dance at P&P Dance Centre in Belleville.
She wants to major in history at college, once all of her required basic classes are out of the way.
“She always loved to learn,” Marion said of her daughter, who is enthused about her college work.
The Smiths have a son, Garrett, age 13, who also is being home-schooled.
For more information on the Early College Alliance, see www.emich.edu/eca