Sheliya Cordero was looking for a unique and challenging high school experience. She found that and more at Lorain County Early College High School on the LCCC campus.

Cordero, 18 from Lorain, is graduating May 13 with an associate of arts degree from LCCC – at the same time she earns her high school diploma.

Lorain County Early College High School is an opportunity for students beginning in ninth grade to participate in a combined high school and college experience with the goal of earning a high school diploma and college associate degree at the same time. All courses are taught on the LCCC campus tuition free.

Taking on high school and college courses at the same time was challenging, but Cordero says the experience helped her grow.

“Being a student at the Early College at LCCC has helped me succeed in many ways,” Cordero said. “It has taught me resilience and helped me figure out along the way the different roads I could take.”

During her junior and senior year, Cordero was able to select college courses that interested her. She has always been curious about the brain, and so she elected to try out a psychology course. She was also able to gain experience with social work classes. It was through these courses that Cordero said she discovered her future path.

“The ability to choose my classes as a high school student taking college classes has helped me decide that I would like to continue to study in the fields of psychology and social work and be able to help others,” she said.

However, Cordero isn’t waiting until after graduation to help others. For more than a year, she’s been volunteering at University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center. It’s an experience that’s helped her solidify her career goals of working in healthcare and mental health.

To achieve her academic and career goals, she will transfer The Ohio State University with her tuition covered through the Young Scholars program. She plans to double-major in psychology and social work. From there, she plans to earn a master’s degree and continue to medical school. It’s a future she says she can see clearly, thanks to her efforts and the support of Early College High School and LCCC.

“I’m thankful for Early College High School staff that are on campus making sure we are succeeding and on our way to graduating,” Cordero said.

Learn more about Lorain County Early College High School at www.lorainccc.edu/earlycollege.