Alum Earned College Credits, Graduates JCU Early
Jan. 15, 2019 -- When Landry Snead entered Heights High as a freshman in the fall of 2012 she was an inaugural member of the class of the 2016 Early College program.
Fast forward to December, 2018 and Landry has graduated from John Carroll University with a bachelor's degree in computer science. She started a job as a Machine Learning Engineer in January.
She graduated from Heights High with nearly two years of credits from John Carroll University and opted to continue attending JCU to complete her education.
“When I first started the Early College program I was so nervous!,” she said. “The work was challenging and at one point I wondered ‘what have I gotten myself into?’”
She soon learned that with a strong work ethic and support from teachers, she could excel at college level work while in high school.
When Landry talked about the support she received from Heights High teachers, she especially wanted to recognize Early College staff Ms. Lambright and Mr. Neitzel and two advisors for the Minority Student Achievement Network, Mrs. Washington and Mr. Williams for helping her with the academic and social aspect of preparing for and succeeding in college.
“And, I am so grateful to Dr. Lawson-McKinnie for heading the program,” continued Landry.
Landry’s new job will involve artificial intelligence (A.I.), she will write programs for the Smucker Company factories that will help machines learn from previous actions and perform tasks more accurately.
“I’m especially excited about my new job because this is an opportunity for me to learn about A.I. and contribute to the company,” continued Landry.
Selected Heights High juniors and seniors are currently enrolled in the Early College Program, in partnership with John Carroll University. The program does not currently include any freshmen - the logistics of the Early College Program are being worked out. Heights High students can earn college credits in the College Credit Plus program.
The College Credit Plus (CCP) Program is for students who qualify to take college classes at Heights High and at local colleges and universities. Students in the program earn both high school and college credit at no cost to the family. Interested parents and their students are invited to a CCP Information meeting on Tuesday, February 12, 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Mini-Auditorium.