A group of South St. Paul students are taking high school to the next level.
Nineteen students at the small high school will begin their senior years in early September with hopes of not just earning a diploma, but of finishing a two-year college degree. They are taking part in a partnership between their school district and Inver Hills Community College to offer not just college classes, but an associate’s degree to aspiring high schoolers.
“I don’t know what I want to do or where I want to do it, but I do know having a two-year head start will be good,” said Rachel Bakke of West St. Paul, who is enrolled in the program. “In 10 years I’ll thank myself for doing it.”