To those
who got
a head start

LCCC's  College Credit Plus program gave Courtney Crell a head start on her college education. 

After graduating from Avon High School last year and completing a year's worth of credits through College Credit Plus while taking LCCC courses as a high school student, 19-year-old Courtney Crell will earn her associate of arts degree from Lorain County Community College.

During her time at LCCC, Crell was a writer and editor for the college newspaper, The Collegian, as well as a contributor for a story for the local paper, The Morning Journal.

On top of journalism, balancing a 15 credit-hour class schedule with a 4.0 GPA and a full-time job at Rose Senior Living in Avon during a global pandemic made Crell’s last semester at LCCC a bit challenging, she says.

“The drastic change to moving everything online was stressful for me, but I did not let it affect my grades and I am doing very well at LCCC,” Crell says.

Crell originally chose LCCC for the cost-savings advantages. Being part of the College Credit Plus program saved her thousands.

“After high school, LCCC was one of my cheapest options and I liked the classes I took so much before graduating that I decided to continue there until I completed my associate degree,” Crell says. “LCCC is also very close to my house, so it was convenient to go there.”

“I discovered a lot about myself while at LCCC,” Crell says. “LCCC taught me to have accountability for my actions, and it taught me that I am in control of my life. I discovered what I can handle academically, and I discovered what I like to do and what I do not like to do. It was actually at the college where I found my love of English.”

Crell plans to continue her education at Miami University of Oxford, Ohio, and hopes to build a career as a book editor, she said.

“I thought of becoming a book editor when I realized how much I loved editing my friends’ papers for them,” Crell says. “It is always nice to get paid to do what you love.”