10 | theLAKER Meet alumni who finished FLCC before high school Garett Lester ’23 graduated in the spring with an associate degree in smart systems technologies. A month later, he graduated from Bloomfield High School. No, that is not the typical order, but knowing it was possible motivated Garett to take some extra classes. Garett and another student completed associate degree requirements before finishing high school this year. Garett attended the PTECH program while Ava Rodriguez ’23 took college classes through Early College Scholars. She graduated from Pittsford-Mendon High School one month after completing FLCC coursework. A third student, Lily Hall ’23 of Dundee, joined this club using another strategy: a mix of Early College Scholar and Gemini credits. Gemini, also called concurrent enrollment, is a program that allows students to take classes in their home districts that satisfy both high school and college requirements. Lily’s graduation from Dundee High School in June made her a high school and college graduate at the same time. Garett Lester Short for Pathways in Technology, PTECH allows students from 25 school districts to enroll in an alternate high school at the FLCC Newark Campus Center and earn a mix of high school and college credits, starting in ninth grade. Most PTECH students finish high school and then spend another year or two at FLCC. Through careful planning with a counselor, Garett realized he could finish degree requirements before completing 12th grade then transfer to Rochester Institute of Technology. “I thought not many people get an opportunity to do that, so that helped to motivate me a lot,” he said. “There were definitely times where I was thinking, ‘This is a lot to be doing,’ but it’s one year then it’s done, and I accomplished something.” Garett was a couple classes ahead when he started, having taken algebra and Living Environment in eighth grade. When he got his driver’s license, he was able to take additional classes at the FLCC Victor Campus Center off Route 251. He credits his PTECH and FLCC instructors, in particular physics professor Sam Samanta, for giving him the flexibility to complete his classes, while working part-time. “He’s always willing to help you and make sure you’re following along with class but you’re not getting piled up on homework,” Garett said. “I’d have to say PTECH is very similar in that they’re trying to be as campus happenings Garett Lester of Bloomfield, left, shown with Sam Samanta, professor of physics, completed requirements for his associate degree before graduating from high school.
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