u/GreedyMeet1273

Five seniors at Boys' Latin High School in West Philadelphia are set to earn associate degrees before receiving their high school diplomas.

The students - Jeremiah Roach, Dylan Adkins, Aidan Marion, Khalif Barakat-Cooper and Marquise Floyd-Reid — will graduate from the Community College of Philadelphia on Saturday through a dual-enrollment partnership with their charter school. About a month later, they will take part in Boys' Latin's graduation ceremony on June 2 at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on the University of Pennsylvania's campus.

William M. Hayes, CEO of Boys' Latin, said the

accomplishment shows the strength of the school's academic program and its commitment to helping families lower the cost of college.

The students are part of Boys' Latin's Middle College program, which began around three years ago. The program gives students in grades 10 through 12 the chance to take college classes while still in high school, with some students earning enough credits to complete an associate degree.

Hayes said the idea came from discussions about creating more opportunities for Black male students. What started with a few college courses grew into a more structured program designed to prepare students for success after high school.

Through the partnership with Community College of Philadelphia, eligible students can take college courses for free if they earn at least a 2.5 GPA by the end of ninth grade.