Haeven Clark’s college experience has pushed her outside of her comfort zone, and she likes it.

The 17-year-old senior is a student at Carson City-Crystal High School and the Montcalm Area Career Center. She is also dual-enrolled in classes at Montcalm Community College. Dual enrollment allows students to take up to 10 college classes throughout their high school career. Successful completion of a college course grants them college credit as well as satisfies one of their high school graduation requirements.

“When I heard about dual enrollment, I knew I wanted to do it,” Clark said. “I loved that I could get a head start to college.”

Clark started her dual enrollment journey at the beginning of her junior year in 2022. She is currently working on her prerequisites to eventually apply to be a student in MCC’s nursing program. Eventually, she plans to select a university to continue her bachelor’s program.

Clark credits the college’s dual enrollment program with teaching her about time management. It was also an experience that she shared took her outside of her comfort zone because it forced her to interact with professors and fellow classmates that she did not previously know from her years of schooling.

Outside of her studies, Clark continues a busy schedule working at Joe’s Market in Palo. When she isn’t working – whether it be school or her job – she is active in band and sports, including softball, volleyball and basketball.

Although she may make it look like a smooth process, Clark has had some challenges, explaining that there are pros and cons to being dual enrolled. She said there are the pros of getting ahead and saving a lot of money, but the cons include balancing life as high school student and finding time to handle all that comes with it.

“This past semester I found to be the hardest for me so far,” Clark shared. “I found it hard because I took three classes instead of my usual two and was having trouble balancing them all.”

With the time management she has learned, Clark has been able to implement it in assisting her with managing her workload.

Clark plans to become a registered nurse, working as a travel nurse for a couple of years and then working as a registered nurse in a hospital. In the meantime, she is currently preparing for high school graduation, with only a few classes left before she can start the nursing program.

“Without dual enrollment I wouldn’t be here,” she said.

For more information about MCC’s dual enrollment program visit montcalm.edu/dual-enroll, email dualenrollment@montalm.edu or call 989-328-1277.

Media inquiries, please contact:

Shelly Springborn
Director of Communications and Public Relations
shellys@montcalm.edu
989-560-0833