Providing an Affordable Pathway to Earn a Bachelor’s Degree – Posted 4/30/15
Michelle Laracuente, of Columbia and a former Mt. Olive resident, was unclear about what pathway she wanted to pursue after graduating from high school. At County College of Morris (CCM), however, she not only discovered her passion for psychology but also excelled so well as a student that Drew University has awarded her a full-tuition scholarship.
The Drew scholarship is part of a dual admissions partnership the university and CCM established in 2014 to provide students with a seamless pathway for earning both their associate and bachelor’s degrees. As part of the partnership, Drew agreed to award up to two full-tuition scholarships each year to qualified students who enroll through the dual admissions program.
“I’m so excited to become part of the Drew community,” said Laracuente, who will be graduating from CCM in May. “I did not do so well in high school, but when I started at CCM I really pushed myself to reach my full potential. To have a highly ranked school like Drew recognize my efforts and want to support me is such a fantastic feeling.”
Along with excelling as a CCM student, Laracuente also played on the Titans softball team and served as a member of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society.
“”We’re so proud and happy that our long-standing relationship with Drew and this dual admissions agreement are allowing outstanding students such as Michelle Laracuente to reach their goals for a higher education,” said Dr. Edward J. Yaw, president of CCM.
Under the agreement with Drew, CCM students with a 3.0 grade point average or higher may submit a dual admissions intent form to Drew before earning 45 credits at CCM to enroll at the university as juniors once they earn their associate degrees. Students who enroll at Drew under the agreement can earn bachelor’s degrees in biology, chemistry, English, history, psychology or art history. There also is the opportunity for CCM humanities/social science students to transfer into certain other majors at Drew.
Laracuente, who majored in education with a psychology emphasis at CCM, plans to earn her bachelor’s in psychology from Drew.
“CCM allowed me to figure out exactly what I wanted to pursue,” she says. “It’s such a great school and the work the teachers do to help you really does make a difference.”
To learn more about the CCM and Drew dual admissions program, Click Here.
Photo Credit: John Hester