Six students from Central New York high schools have graduated with both a high school diploma and an associate degree through a partnership with Cayuga Community College.
The students were recognized Friday by Cayuga Community College and leaders from Dana L. West High School, Synergy Virtual High School at CiTi BOCES, and Union Springs High School.
The dual graduates are Nina Bartolotta of Dana L. West High School; Stephen Case, Gracie Chalupnicki, Ella Dougherty and Lilyana Thornton of Union Springs High School; and Carissa Quagliata of Synergy Virtual High School at CiTi BOCES.
Each earned either an Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree while completing their high school studies.
Quagliata became the first student from Synergy Virtual High School to earn both degrees through the program.
School officials said the students began planning for the achievement early in high school and completed college-level coursework through Cayuga’s partnerships with local districts.
The students are pursuing a range of next steps after graduation. Case plans to attend Le Moyne College to study business management, Chalupnicki will study biology at SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Dougherty will attend Villanova University on a pre-med track, and Quagliata will study cybersecurity at Rochester Institute of Technology.
Bartolotta and Thornton are still evaluating colleges. Bartolotta plans to study psychology and biology, while Thornton intends to pursue marine biology.
The programs allow high school students to take college courses through partnerships between Cayuga Community College and school districts across Cayuga, Oswego, Onondaga, Seneca and Wayne counties.
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