A new charter school in West Virginia gives students the opportunity to jump-start a degree in nursing before they graduate from high school, saving them thousands of dollars in college tuition costs.
Win Academy, the state’s first charter school housed within a community college, is an accelerated degree program that allows juniors and seniors to complete the first year of a registered nurse program while finishing their high school credits.
The program is free to students who take college courses.
Abby Frame and Abby Persinger, both 16 year olds, decided to forgo their senior year at Herbert Hoover High School to enter the academy, which is in its first year of operation at BridgeValley Community and Technical College in South Charleston.
The pair, who are close friends, plan to become nurses.
“I really looked forward to being able to cut time off of my college experience,” said Frame, who lives in Elkview.