Most seniors plan to walk across a single stage at the end of high school, but a growing trend in starting to change that.
"I'm going to be getting my Associate in Science and I'll also be attending the MCC graduation," said Evan Alexander, senior at Rapoport Academy High School. "I get to go to two graduations."
According to the Texas Community College Association, the dual-credit movement has exploded across the nation over the past decade. It's been growing an average of 7 percent each year.
"I can experience both lives. High school student and college student at the same time. It's really fun," said Trytan White, senior at Rapoport Academy High School.
Both Alexander and White have been taking dual-credit courses since their freshman year.
"Last year we had three students graduate with their A.A. and the year before we only have one," said Jennifer Bankhead, college and career counselor at Rapoport Academy High School. "Now that we're up to 11, it's clear that students have heard about this and they're excited and want to graduate with a degree."
Aside from saving money, students are also able to go straight into their major rather than going through general education courses once they're accepted into the university of their choice.
"Financially it's huge," said Bankhead. "I mean, they're going to college for free right now. They potentially graduate with two years of college completed before they graduate from high school."
Students at Rapoport Academy High School are bused to and from McLennan Community College three days a week, giving them a small glimpse as to what life after high school will look like.
"Colleges can see that these students have taken the most rigorous course load possible and have succeeded, so that does help them when they're applying to colleges," said Bankhead.
"I plan on attendingTexas A&M College Station to major in aerospace engineering," said White.
"I'm applying to Rice, Stanford and Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts," said Alexander. "Hopefully I'm going to study statistics and maybe computer science."
Alexander and White are set to graduate in May of 2018.
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