By: Michaela Gonzalez, Opinions Editor
Although Middle College is offered to Mills students, as well as students across the San Mateo District, very little is known about the program to the majority of students. College of San Mateo (CSM) and Skyline College both offer Middle College programs for sophomores, but a majority of Mills students choose to apply to the CSM program. This alternative education program selects about 100 sophomores from across the district to participate in the program and complete their high school graduation requirements while also getting a head start on college and their potential future career. According to their website, the program claims that Middle College students will, “…pursue rigorous, collegiate coursework while fostering connections between their Middle College community, the larger CSM community, and their greater local and global community.”
An important defining aspect of this curriculum is the small community, consisting of about 200 students and 10 faculty members. Compared to the enormous student body of about 1,200 students at typical high school such as Mills, this is very shocking to many sophomores. Yet, Mills junior Shannah Kwan shares, “I would say the environment is more welcoming than a typical high school classroom. To me, having 3 classes/hours a day with the same 30 people who you will naturally and unexpectedly become friends with is better than having 7 classes a day with different people who you barely talk to.” With this, she also states that Middle College gave her more opportunity than Mills for her future career in science.
Many students of the Middle College program agree that the career exploration was a deciding factor in their decision to apply. Students can take advantage of a range of free college courses such as Astrology, Music History, or Microbiology. Junior Owen Block from Aaragon who is in Music History shares, “The professors are so cool, andI love that I am able to take college classes before actual college. Although the curriculum may be difficult sometimes, the environment is overall a better high school for me, personally.” Aside from the free college credits, Juniors and seniors in Middle College, as well as potential sophomores, take a liking to the delicious cafeteria, a mature yet liberal college environment, and the ability to meet new friends in a tight-knit community.
Yet, like many things, this program is not applicable to everyone. Many teachers talk of students that came back to their home school from Middle College. Students may not feel as supported as they would from their home community, or they may miss the high school events such as rallies or food fairs. With that, some may not like the same three classes everyday with the same people. In comparison, many interested students are scared of taking a leap and leaving their friends from home school to come to Middle College. Junior Marian Lopez from San Mateo states, “Even though it was hard, I enjoy the career and college opportunities of the program and getting to know my classmates.”
This month the program is offering Shadow days for interested sophomores to tour the campus of CSM and learn more about the inner workings of the community and a day in the life of a typical junior. A group of five to six sophomores from across the district are paired with two juniors who attend Middle College as they follow the students through their day in the Middle College program. Interested sophomore Roxana Najian describes her shadow as “…an awesome experience and really made me look forward to next year! the food was also SOOO good!”
Overall, the Middle College program at CSM is a great opportunity to widen and expand one’s horizons and perspectives, but not everyone may find it a sufficient learning environment.
