Four students are set to graduate with a high school diploma and associate degrees in the same academic year.

Taiyana Allen, Kyrsten Burrows, Dejanee Hill-Edwards and Sophia Hamilton will form part of the Class of 2016 at Berkeley Institute and CedarBridge Academy in June, as well as at Bermuda College on Thursday.

The college released a statement pointing to the success of its Dual Enrolment initiative.

Originally the brainchild of the late Clarence Maxwell, a former principal at Berkeley and a maths tutor in the College’s Academic Resource Centre, the programme later developed under Necheeka Trott at the college.

Ms Trott served as advisor to the four teenagers, and said the initiative provides another pathway for outstanding students to engage in college-level courses other than the IB or AP.

“It provides senior school students with course options not available to them otherwise, while at the same time, shortening the time to obtain a college degree,” she said.

“It saves parents and students money. It also provides students with college credit that is transferable to colleges and universities abroad.”

Taiyana has been accepted into Georgia State University; Kyrsten into the University of Ontario Institute of Technology; Dejanee to St John’s University in New York; and Sophia to the University of Perth, Australia.

Lisa Osborne, director of the Academic Resource Centre at the College and liaison between the College and two senior public schools, is responsible for facilitating their matriculation into college-level courses, and is now guiding another 34 students who are in the programme.

She said the partnership is a good one and is cautiously optimistic that Dual Enrolment can be further explored for expansion into other areas.

“With a few tweaks, I feel the time is right to explore the potential it can offer to other students, and in other disciplines,” she said.

“The Dual Enrolment students adjusted well to their new environment of having to be more independent, and in taking the lead in assuming responsibility for their education.

“They brought another perspective to student dialogue and discussion in their classes. And they did well in managing the onerous task of balancing their courses at Bermuda College while maintaining a presence at their respective senior schools.”

Parents with students in the public senior schools in either the S2 or S3 level, or considering the Dual Enrolment option, were advised: “This may be the right pathway for your young person. However, high grades do not make students college ready. Study habits and maturity are important factors to consider.

“Parents and students have to be realistic in the expectations of a student in the Dual Enrolment programme. The academic aspect is only one part; social and emotional maturity also count.”