by Contributor | March 6, 2020 11:29 am
FULTON – A local student determined to earn a college degree by the time he completes high school will do just that when he crosses the stage this spring at Cayuga Community College’s 66th Commencement.
After four years of accumulating college credits, Dylan Walawender will receive his Associate of Science Degree from Cayuga the same year he graduates from Union Springs High School. The impressive dual accomplishments will make him the first student in Cayuga’s history to earn both degrees in the same semester.
“I’m definitely someone who wants a challenge and looks for the more tenacious route. When I learned about this pathway to earn my associate’s degree, it sounded like a challenge, which made it even more appealing. It was difficult, but that’s helped acclimate me to college courses, professors and expectations,” said Walawender.
Walawender started taking Cayuga courses through the College’s Advantage program in the 2016-2017 academic year when he was only a freshman in high school. He excelled in a variety of rigorous courses to earn his degree from the challenging Liberal Arts and Sciences: Math & Science program.
The Advantage program is one of several avenues for high school students to earn college credits toward an associate’s degree at Cayuga. The College partners with dozens of school districts across the Central New York and Finger Lakes Regions to create these opportunities for students, who can take courses from biology and business to art and foreign languages.
Walawender drew praise from Cayuga and Union Springs leaders, who pointed out he completed a difficult degree program requiring a significant commitment of time and effort.
“We’re very impressed with Dylan’s determination to earn his associate’s degree from Cayuga Community College while finishing high school. He completed a demanding program that will prepare him to continue his education,” said Cayuga President Dr. Brian Durant. “We’re pleased to see students like Dylan growing through our partnerships with Union Springs and other school districts, and we look forward to seeing other students experience similar success.”
“We are extremely proud of Dylan and his accomplishments, and we are confident that he will find future success,” said Union Springs School District Superintendent Dr. Jarett Powers. “We are so pleased with our partnership with Cayuga Community College. This partnership really enables us to provide students with a rich academic program that helps prepare them for future success.”
First learning of the chance to earn college credits when he was in eighth grade, Walawender started collecting college credits with a geology course as a freshman. That quickly gave way to classes ranging from pre-calculus and calculus to microcomputer applications and literature.
The classes weren’t always in his wheelhouse — math courses in particular were challenging, he said — but Walawender stuck with each course with his trademark perseverance. He knew the long-term benefits outweighed the short-term challenges.
“There were a few moments and classes where I thought maybe they were too difficult. The classes were taught as college courses, so it took me a little while to get acclimated and adjust to a college mentality,” he said. “Now that I’m in my senior year, I can definitely see how they’ve helped prepare me for the future. I feel a lot more confident going into college thanks to these classes, the program and faculty.”
Even as he approaches a pair of graduation ceremonies while completing his final courses, Walawender is already looking ahead to his next steps. He’s looking to continue his education, and has identified several colleges or universities as potential fits for his career goal of becoming a literature professor.
He knows it will be a challenging academic and career path, but that’s fine with him. Challenges are what he likes, after all.
“It will be a lot of work to become a literature professor, but I enjoy the emotional experience that comes with reading and talking about literature. The collaborative approach with literature is another big appeal to me — it’s not just me talking to myself about literature, it’s me sharing with other people and hearing their experience and their reactions.”
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