ECCA Students Commit to Parkland College at Signing Day Event
ECCA Signing Day Celebrates High School Seniors Enrolling at Parkland
Parkland College celebrated the continuation of Early College and Career Academy students' academic careers with a special signing day event on May 3.
The ECCA Senior Signing Day recognized high school seniors who have earned dual credit through the Early College and Career Academy and have chosen to continue their education in a career training program at Parkland this fall. Students and their parents were invited to the college campus to take photos, declare their enrollment, and celebrate their accomplishments.
18 seniors from eight local high schools signed letters of intent to enroll in Parkland College associate's and certificate programs such as automotive technology, criminal justice, industrial technology, motorsport technology, nursing, occupational therapy, computer science, and more. Schools represented were Unity, Gibson City Melvin Sibley, Champaign Central, Mahomet-Seymour, Monticello, St. Joseph-Ogden, Fisher, and Centennial.
ECCA Director Nick Elder has seen the students through from high school to college. "We are thrilled that these students have chosen to re-enroll at Parkland College to continue their post-secondary education," he said.
"All high school students who participate in ECCA benefit from their experience, but it is especially satisfying to see these students return to advance their education and graduate from a certificate or degree program at Parkland. By re-enrolling at Parkland, these students have taken the first step to make that goal a reality."
The Early College and Career Academy is a joint effort of Education for Employment System #330 and Parkland College to provide high school juniors and seniors an opportunity to earn dual credit in nine different Parkland College program areas. Over 1000 students have participated in the program since its inception in the 2015-2016 school year. Learn more at parkland.edu/ecca or contact Director Nick Elder.