Students Graduate College Before High School

May 7, 2024

Oakland High School’s Early College partnership with Motlow State Community College allows students to graduate with an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Mechatronics while obtaining their high school diploma. Through this opportunity, Oakland dual-enrollment students can immediately transfer to the workforce upon completion of high school. Oakland will see six of its seniors graduate from the program this year with college degrees.

Pictured: Brody Harrison, Dominic Duong, Booklyn Moore, Kellita Bowles, Motlow Dual Enrollment Director Sally Pack, Kayleigh Moreing, and Jon Vazquez.

Motlow’s May 6th graduation ceremony puts these students’ college graduation date before their high school graduation, allowing them to claim that they completed a collegiate-level education before a grade-school one. High school students throughout Motlow’s 11-county service area have the option of obtaining an associate degree while in high school so that they can save time and money in advancing their education.

Motlow’s Early College Mechatronics program combines mechanical, electrical, fluid power, computer, and automation technology to prepare students for a variety of automotive, power production, manufacturing, and robotics careers. Through these classes, students acquire hands-on experience with robots and qualify for internship and apprenticeship opportunities throughout the state.

According to Edie Brasher, High School Programs Coordinator for Motlow State, “Oakland also offers certification programs to students at Oakland who may not want to commit to the whole degree. All eligible Rutherford County students can apply for a zone waiver through Oakland, allowing them to switch schools for the Mechatronics program. We greatly appreciate Lenny Ciletti and Tommy Green for teaching the courses and making this opportunity possible.”

A team from Oakland High School recently competed in the SkillsUSA Conference alongside Motlow’s chapter of SkillsUSA, which focuses on enhancing students’ Career and Technical abilities. The team received Gold in high school Robotics and Automation and Silver in high school Additive Manufacturing.

If students wish to pursue further education after completing an A.A.S. in Mechatronics, Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) and the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga (UTC) both offer bachelor’s degrees in Mechatronics. Motlow also offers certification opportunities for adults who have already begun a career in Mechatronics and wish to upskill or advance. To learn more about Motlow’s Mechatronics program, contact Mechatronics@mscc.edu. Learn how your high school student can take advantage of dual enrollment by contacting dualenrollment@mscc.ed.