Photo Credit: Matt Ebbers
By Miley Wood & Sara Marinaro
Did you know you can get a head start on college as a high school student? SUNY Broome student Johanna Pilny took advantage of SUNY Broome’s Early College program to start working toward her Engineering Science degree at age 16.
Did your Early College experience help you explore different career options?: “Teaching yourself out of textbooks can be hard to connect with the actual topic and get hands-on experience. I got to explore all my passions like language, music, architecture, and even learned that I really do enjoy science while taking physics here on campus.”
How was the transition from being homeschooled to coming into the Early College Program?: “I started Early College at 16 and it gave me an opportunity to start getting experience in a classroom. My homeschool experience had a big focus on independent learning which helped me succeed in my studies in Early College classes. I got the benefits of college classes while being able to independently teach myself.”
What is your advice for other students interested in starting in the Early College Program?: “Get involved in everything you can outside of class. Take advantage of joining clubs and participating in student activities. You have the advantage of getting an early college experience in high school.”
What makes SUNY Broome the perfect place for the Early College Program?: “The support system at SUNY Broome is amazing. The class sizes are small and the faculty are very supportive. SUNY Broome has so much support for their students, especially my engineering professor who helped me with advice about school and was an active role model. I always felt I could fit right into this community from the very beginning.”
For more information, see our Early College and Fast Forward programs
Tags: Early College, Profile
