High schoolers start college early with Saginaw Academy of Excellence

By La’Niya Jones

SAGINAW – This past school year, Delta College offered a free early college opportunity to students from Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy (SASA), Arthur Hill, and Saginaw High, called the Saginaw Academy of Excellence. Dr. Michael Gavin, President of Delta, and Dr. Ramont Roberts, Superintendent for Saginaw Public School District, worked together with their teams to make this program possible. 

The outcome of their venture is that high school juniors and seniors will get a jump start on college credits and skills. This program connects to the Michigan Transfer Agreement. If students pass with a C+ or higher in all their classes, they are eligible for a block transfer of 30 credits to some Michigan universities and colleges. 

“I think this program was a great opportunity for me to open up more, get a head start, and have a better chance to succeed in the future,” said Aidan Deters, a student from Arthur Hill High School. “Always take college seriously, do your work ahead of time, and always study for exams. Overall, I enjoy my college experience, and I hope for the best at the end for myself and for all the other students who are doing this program.”

The first group of juniors started during the fall semester of 2022 and is set up on a two-year plan with college courses taking place at Delta’s Downtown Saginaw Center. Students take one class on Monday and Wednesday and the other on Tuesday and Thursday; Fridays are used as development days. Fridays can be used for working on homework, studying, building relationships with the staff and students, working on skills, and much more. 

This has been a growing experience for all of the high school students taking part in the academy. 

“This academy has been an interesting journey. You definitely have to keep a strong mindset going through this,” said Catasha Frazier, a high school student from Arthur Hill. “ Overall, I do enjoy this experience; I’ve learned a lot, and I just have to keep going.” 

While others have learned a different view of college from their experience, such as Arthur Hill student Diego Delgado. 

“The program made me wonder if college is really for me,” said Delgado. “It’s not terrible but it’s a little too much for me, I’ll stick with it to see if I grow into it but so far this might be the only college experience I take.”

Professor Angela Guy-Lee discussed her connection with the idea of the program and teaching the first cohort during the fall semester. 

In May 2019, Professor Guy-Lee and Jeff Dykhuizen had a similar idea of having high school students get college credits, but the idea was swiped away when Covid-19 came along. Dr. Gavin had done something similar to the program at his previous institution, and all the ideas merged to create the Saginaw Academy of Excellence. Professor Guy-Lee’s goal was to get more dual-enrolled students from the city of Saginaw and give them the opportunity for representation. 

Teaching wise Professor Guy-Lee loved teaching the students, and it had been one of her best teaching experiences, with the kids being very eager and excited to learn. She really appreciated being a part of everyone’s academic journey and getting to form a connection with everyone. She is glad that the program is working and doing a fantastic job. 

“This program is really cool because it allows me to have more variety in my classes while also getting a head start,” shared Isabella Robles, from SASA. “I like being able to work with the other schools because I can meet new people. The professors are also really cool. 

Dorian Phelps talked about their connection to the program. 

Phelps loves working with the SAE (Saginaw Academy of Excellence) students on Fridays and sees it as an all-encompassing experience. Being with the students helps keep her on her toes, and she hopes that the students can benefit from what she is bringing to them. She has a huge sense of pride for the academy. 

“I really want our students to know that they belong here at Delta,” said Dorian Phelps, a downtown Saginaw Coordinator.”The staff at Downtown Saginaw is fully invested in student success and excellence. Know that, we are here to help you realize your dreams” 

Monica Hernandez-Alaniz also talked about their connection to the program. 

Hernandez-Alaniz enjoys working with the SAE students on Fridays and appreciates their drive and passion to learn. She sees that this program is helping students grow academically into bright scholars, spread their wings, and feel confident in their academics. 

She hopes that all her teachings and tips help the students form a toolbox that they can use throughout their college experience. 

“There’s a saying “You don’t know…what you don’t know,” said Monica Hernandez-Alaniz, an assistant director/adjunct faculty. “Because of this it’s important to create a tool box for our students to use in their college journey,” 

According to Professor McMorris, the program has been a major success, getting national attention at a conference meeting. 

Students have been excelling, with the first cohort passing all their fall semester classes and doing great so far in their winter semester classes. The second cohort is being talked about and is underway as we speak. 

To join the program, students must talk to their highschool counselors to register and get more information. 

This program is wrapped together into a beautiful safety net that the Downtown Saginaw center provides to support and form a deep lifelong connection with their students. The Saginaw Academy of Excellence will continue to bring remarkable success to the Saginaw Area and Delta. 

“I’ve really enjoyed the academy so far,” said Brooke Toshach, a student from SASA. “It has really helped with some anxiety about going to college. I’ve realized that these teachers are here to help us and want us to succeed. Although there are challenging times, it’s been a great experience.”