Washington County Early College High School Celebrates Class of 2022 | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

Cutline for group: (Back, left to right) Savion Gill, Jahime Perry, J’Mauri Thomas, Omari Rascoe, Mikaela Selby, and Destiny Cooper. (Front, left to right) Jamyra Simpson, Cathryn Ambrose, Latavia Burnett, Kelsey Bleadingheiser, Kalyna Mai, and Nicholas Agullar.

    WASHINGTON, N.C.     The Class of 2022 at Washington County Early College High School celebrated their high school graduation at the Roanoke River Maritime Museum in Plymouth, N.C. The dual enrollment program, which allows students to start taking college courses while in high school, saw 12 students presented with high school diplomas, seven of whom also received associate's degrees through Beaufort County Community College.

    Students who also earned certificates or degrees through BCCC had participated in a larger ceremony with graduates from the college and other early college high school students on May 12. The graduates are headed off to universities, the military, and the workforce. Students who did not complete a degree still have the option to finish at BCCC or transfer credits to a university. Two of the students plan to attend Beaufort County Community College for nursing and early childhood education.

    Graduates were recognized for different achievements at the ceremony. Cathryn Ambrose, Kelsey Bleadingheiser, Latavia Burnett, Kalyna Mai, Jahime Perry, Omari Rascoe, J'Mauri Thomas all received degrees and certificates through BCCC. Latavia Burnett and Kalyna Mai both graduated cum laude, with Latavia Burnett earning the All-USA Community College Award.

    Six of the graduates are members of the National Honor Society, including Latavia Burnett, Kalyna Mai, Jahime Perry, Omari Rascoe, Mikaela Selby, and J'Mauri Thomas. Kalyna Mai was the Class of 2022's valedictorian, and Latavia Burnett was the salutatorian.

    Kalyna Mai, Jahime Perry, and J'Mauri Thomas were presented with scholarships during the ceremony, and Dr. Dave Loope, BCCC President, was the keynote speaker.

    The class had endured a series of changes during their high school and college career, including three different principals, moving the location from Roper to Creswell, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Dual enrollment students are becoming an increasingly larger part of the community college landscape. BCCC also partners with Columbia Early College High School, Mattamuskeet Early College High School, and Beaufort County Early College High School and qualified students from all area high schools can take free college classes through Career and College Promise.

    Early college high school students go to high school classes for their first two years, later transitioning to taking college classes just like any other college students on the BCCC campus. At the end of their five-year education, they earn a high school diploma, and most of them also earn one or more associate's degrees.

    BCCC wishes all the best to its early college students.

• Attila Nemecz
• Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator
• Beaufort County Community College
• 5337 U.S. Highway 264 East
• Washington, N.C. 27889
• Ph: 252-940-6387
• Cell: 252-940-8672
• attila.nemecz@beaufortccc.edu