Imagine a college degree in economics before getting a high school diploma.
Averie Williams got to live that experience this year, graduating with an associate degree from Pueblo Community College a week before celebrating commencement with her classmates at Pueblo County High School. PCC’s concurrent enrollment program allowed her to take college classes at the high school, online and eventually as a full-time college student with credits also applying toward her high school requirements.
“PCC's flexibility allowed me to get a great education while balancing a busy high school life,” Williams said. “The professors were welcoming and always eager to help when I got stuck. I never lacked resources or encouragement.”
Now she has transferred to the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, where she will study engineering – and with two years of college already completed.
“As the oldest sibling, I want to set a good example for those looking up to me,” she said. “My mom is a math teacher, so math has always been a big part of my life — and something I genuinely enjoy.”
Was the experience always pleasant? Well, no. But when life and school were tough, she discovered she was tougher.
“The first in-person class I ever took was Dr. Michael) Payne's Calculus I. I remember sitting in my car afterward, crying on the phone with my mom, convinced I wasn't going to be able to do it,” Williams said. “That semester was one of the hardest stretches of my life, but I remember feeling so proud of myself for sticking with it and so grateful for Dr. Payne's support throughout.”
Williams ended up taking two more calculus classes and earned the department’s award for overall outstanding math student – twice.
“I love the challenge of figuring out why something works the way it does and learning the theorems that shape our world,” she said.
Now she enters another challenging environment at the School of Mines with college experience and the knowledge that she can work through the inevitable hurdles.
“PCC gave me the opportunity to do things I never thought I could, and it has set me up for success going forward,” she said. “It taught me perseverance and independence, and I'm grateful for every opportunity I had.”
