Alexander Inkiow and Kristina Parag, both West Windsor residents, graduated from high school in June while also earning their associate degrees from Mercer Community College. They will transfer to four-year colleges as juniors to complete their bachelor’s degrees. It is a big win for them and their families — both academically and financially.
Inkiow, 17, graduated from High School North a year early because his MCCC courses also met some of his high school requirements. After finishing up his associate degree in liberal arts this month, he will transfer to the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University with a substantial scholarship to study urban planning and design.
Inkiow’s Mercer experience began with a geography class in the fall of his sophomore year in high school to prepare for the AP test in human geography. “The experience was so great that I decided on a different path, taking two Mercer courses per semester at night or online, while going to high school during the day,” he says. “Taking classes at Mercer helped me mature as a student and develop skills I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. And I saved so much financially. That will give me more opportunities to work and to pursue my master’s degree without being saddled with debt.”
Inkiow was inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society and earned an MCCC Faculty Association Scholarship and Community Service Award. He was also part of a select team of Mercer students who met with New Jersey legislators and staff to lobby for more funding for community colleges “If it’s possible and it’s something I can achieve, there’s nothing there to stop me,” says Inkiow. “It’s about motivation and hard work.”
Inkiow says his college transcript was the main element of his story as he applied to Rutgers. “For high school students looking to stand out, it’s an unusual path. I have college credits; I took that kind of initiative and I did well.”
“My Mercer degree means so much,” says Inkiow. “Liberal arts was a perfect fit. I got opportunities to take so many interesting classes. My favorites, moral choices, sociology, and children’s literature, are not offered at the high school level and they were terrific.”
Parag, 18, graduated from High School South and completed her associate degree in business administration in the spring. She will transfer to the College of New Jersey to study marketing and management.
“It has truly been a stepping stone to help me grow,” says Parag, who studied through MCCC’s Jump Start Program. Her favorite business classes of statistics, macroeconomics, and marketing helped her solidify her goals. “I have friends who say they want to study business, but they have never taken a business class,” she says. “When I get to TCNJ, I won’t change my mind, waste time, and waste money. It’s nice to dip your feet in at Mercer.”
Parag, who was active in student government at her high school, sought out leadership opportunities at Mercer. She served as the student representative on MCCC’s Faculty Committee for Teaching and Learning, where she had a chance to voice her opinion on behalf of her fellow students and interact with faculty members and the college president. She also served as a mentor for intellectually challenged students in MCCC’s DREAM program.
In order to do it all, both students had a very full schedule including classes on campus in the evenings, during winter session, and in the summers. They took close to half of their classes through MercerOnline.
“I ask a lot of questions,” says Parag, who found her online professors responsive and accessible. “The professors were very open to E-mailing and calling them. They also had office hours when I could come in and see them.”
Both appreciated classmates and study buddies who were decades older than they are. “When you see what these people are accomplishing with all their other responsibilities, it gives you so much focus and motivation,” says Inkiow. “It feels like the real world. There is a seriousness in the classroom that you just don’t find in high school.”
Hard work earned Inkiow and Parag solid GPAs that made their transfer process easy. Working with staff from the transfer services office, their transfer schools accepted all their MCCC credits.
“The New Jersey Statewide Transfer Agreement, commonly referred to as the Lampitt Law, makes the transfer process with an A.A. or A.S. degree from Mercer to a New Jersey state public college or university as seamless as possible,” says Jennifer Cook, MCCC transfer counseling specialist.
“By earning their associate degrees, both Kristina and Alex took advantage of this law and will begin at their next institution with junior standing.” Transfer students with a certain number of credits are not required to submit SAT scores to their next school.
“If you earn your associate degree and transfer to a New Jersey state school for a parallel major then that school has to accept all of your community college credits and you will be halfway to your bachelor’s degree,” says Parag. “When I go to TCNJ, I feel like I will be ready to tackle anything.”
“There are some incredibly caring people at Mercer who want students to succeed,” says Inkiow. “People do not realize what is available right in their backyards.”
Visit www.mccc.edu or call 609-570-3244 for information about the Jump Start program.
