Collegiate High Ignites Educational Excellence at Chattanooga State

Named a “Rewards School” for performance in 2014, Collegiate High ranks in the top five percent of schools for performance and the top five percent of schools for progress. Chattanooga State and the Hamilton County Department of Education work together to graduate outstanding students through the Collegiate High School program.

According to Collegiate High students, Jake Brown, Cody Hedgecoth, and Kris Ryan, they and fellow classmates have a bright future in front of them attributed not only to the classes they take, and the teachers they have, but also to the amount of options and freedom they experience which add to their growth.

Jake Brown is wildly independent. He is 18-years-old and graduating high school with 60 college credit hours under his belt. When he is not at school he is busy working on the 4th Floor of the Public Library, also known as home to the $300,000 Mozilla Gigibit Community Fund project that began in February 2014 as a partnership between Mozilla, the National Science Foundation, and US Ignite in the cities of Chattanooga and Kansas City.

“We often felt like we were in a box in regular high school, but Collegiate High offers options and freedom that have helped us achieve success immediately,” states Jake who describes himself as “a builder of things.”

Cody Hedgecoth will graduate high school with 64 college credits. Majoring in engineering technology with a concentration in construction, he is looking forward to earning his bachelor’s degree by the time he is 20. Because he already has earned 30 college credit hours, he was offered a paid internship with TVA beginning this summer. An AGC (Associated General Contractor) student chapter member at ChattState, Cody also competes in shotgun sports. He is a two-time Tennessee State Champion in Sporting Clays.

One of Cody’s favorite teachers is Professor Roy Sofield. “He always has a plan, is energetic and enthusiastic,” says Cody, “There is no reason you can’t succeed here in Collegiate High,” he adds.

Kris Ryan, age 18, of East Ridge, attended a Collegiate High Preview Night in 2014 and decided that it was the right place for her. Now on the cusp of graduating high school in May with a 3.9 GPA, she will enter Hollins University in Virginia as sophomore majoring in speech pathology with a minor in sign language. “I know this is cliché, but Collegiate High really helped prepare me for college,” shares Kris, “I learned time management skills and about college life,” she adds. As for Chattanooga State, she says with a smile, “they have so much to offer!” Kris is looking forward to new experiences, meeting new people, and joining some clubs when she moves on to Hollins this fall.

Kris earned the Gold Award, Girl Scouting’s highest award, in 2014 for creating and implementing a silent auction designed to raise money for East Ridge Animal Shelter. Kris stays busy playing softball and works at Holiday Bowl on Brainerd Road.

Options and freedom await those students in grades 9-12 who enjoy a challenge within an exciting collegiate environment. Collegiate High will be holding Preview Nights this spring beginning at 6:00 p.m. on March 19 and April 21. Students and parents are encouraged to attend and learn more about why Collegiate High just might be the challenge needed to ignite their educational passion to excel. For more information, contact 423.697.4492 or visit www.chattanoogastate.edu/high-school/collegiate-high.