Hailey Hager had never heard of East Village Middle College High School (EVMCHS) on the San Diego City College campus until her mom forwarded her an email about the school during eighth grade and asked her to check it out. It turned out to have everything Hailey was looking for.
“The class sizes were small, it had a great reputation, it was on a college campus – which allowed for ample dual enrollment opportunities, there weren’t a lot of distractions, and I’m not really into sports so I wasn’t bothered by there not being any sports programs,” Hailey said. “It was a good match.”
Indeed, it was. On June 5, Hailey will graduate after just three years, during which she was elected Associated Student Body president, earned 45 units of college credit in courses ranging from computer science to trigonometry, and secured a generous scholarship to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Thanks to dual enrollment, she will arrive this fall as a 17-year-old college sophomore as her journey to a career in data science continues.
“This school has really allowed me to grow, and being part of student government has really allowed me to have an impact,” she said, noting that as ASB president, she had the opportunity to offer an invaluable perspective while taking part in City College Associated Student Government meetings.
Middle college high schools have proven to be highly effective collaborations between local school districts and community colleges. Affiliated with the San Diego Unified School District, EVMCHS sits across from the City College café and enrolls about 125 students in grades nine through 12. The school offers a rigorous, self-directed program centered on community, student choice, and dual enrollment opportunities.
The results are striking: a graduation rate that has reached 100% in recent years, with nearly all graduates meeting admission requirements for the University of California or California State University systems. Suspensions and expulsions are virtually nonexistent, and many students earn associate degrees while still in high school.
So, what’s it like for a high school student to learn on an inner city college campus? “Our school did a great job of easing us into being in a college environment,” said Hailey. “I felt very comfortable. Most of the classes I took were online, but for the classes I did take in person, everyone was welcoming and understanding.”
Her favorite spots: the City College Math Center (“math is my jam”), the patio atop the City College café (“great views of the city”), and the college library (“I love the library; I love sitting by the big windows. It helps ground me before I dive into everything”). Is there anything she’s not going to miss? “The parking situation,” she said.
The youngest daughter of a Naval nuclear engineer, Hailey was born in Georgia and has lived in Washington – twice, Connecticut, and California, where she’s been living with her family at a Naval base in Coronado since she was in middle school.
“I would definitely recommend looking into EVMCHS,” said Hailey. “It provided me with some great opportunities.”