On a typical Monday morning, while other Clayton students settle into their first-period classes, junior Rocco Caira is walking across the campus of St. Louis Community College at Forest Park, ready to begin his day as a full-time college student.

Caira’s routine reflects the Early College Program, one of the nontraditional academic pathways available to Clayton students. Through programs such as the Early College Program, dual enrollment, and Catalyst, students can cultivate an academic environment that best supports them.

According to Clayton College counselor Katy-Jane Johnson, the most immersive option is Early College, which allows students to attend either of St. Louis Community College’s locations full-time during their junior and senior years while still earning a Clayton diploma.

“The goal of the Early College Program is for students to complete an associate’s degree,” Johnson said. “Those college classes also fulfill their high school graduation requirements.”

For Caira, the shift to college-level coursework has made a noticeable difference in how he engages with learning.

“When you’re able to actually focus in on the course material, you get a [very] different sense of subject matter,” Caira said. [Professors] have a lot of control over their classes, and it definitely shows [up] in how they communicate their teachings, because they seem a lot more passionate about it.

Beyond academics, Early College has given him the freedom to explore his future goals.

“It’s definitely going to give me more time to get some real-world experience and understand the world a little bit more, [and] figure out what I have to do, what I want to do with my life,” Caira said.

However, Johnson mentioned that the Early College Program is a major shift from High School and not the right fit for everyone, requiring self-sufficiency and academic drive.

“It requires an enormous amount of independence, part of the understanding from us, as a sponsoring school with the community colleges, [is that] these are college students, so the expectations are the same. The expectation at the community college is [that] this is on you now, so you really have to be pretty independent and willing to take that all on,” Johnson said.

Johnson believes qualifications for the ECP depend on a student’s independence and academic achievement.

“It’s based on your GPA and teacher recommendations. When I’m looking at applicants, it’s that independence piece. Is this someone who can handle that?” Johnson said. “A lot of times, students are extremely academically successful, but they need support; you should probably stay here at Clayton, because that’s where you’re going to get more support.”

Johnson explained that while Clayton also allows dual enrollment, the two options serve different purposes. Dual enrollment permits students to take individual college courses for enrichment, but those credits do not count toward Clayton graduation requirements unless the student is formally enrolled in Early College.

“Dual enrollment is more of a one-off experience,” Johnson said. “Students are still fully traditional Clayton students.”

Another alternative program Clayton offers is Catalyst, a virtual program that can be fully immersive and is available to juniors and seniors. 

“The only other alternative would be doing a fully online program. When you get to be a senior, there is Catalyst, which is through Clayton, but you get to leave and you have a more hands-on, immersive learning experience,” Johnson said.

Clayton is known for fostering personal relationships and academic experiences for students, but alternative options can give students a head start.

“I think they gain a huge sense of independence and readiness. Students really are used to those personal relationships with teachers, and that looks really different in college [which] can be a huge adjustment academically. They have had more time to figure out college life, expectations, and how to manage resources on campus,” Johnson said. “It’s a lot more responsibility, and those who navigate [the program] well are ready to hit the ground running once they leave Clayton.