By Christian Coffman

The Natchez Democrat

NATCHEZ — The first graduating class of the Natchez Early College Academy is headed into the future armed with a high school diploma and many hours of college credits.

In a ceremony traditionally set aside for athletes, each of the 14 graduates participated in NECA’s first Academic Signing Day Thursday, announcing which college they will attend in the fall.

Participating in the NECA program, each of the students has already earned between 20 to 34 college credits.

Principal Kesha Broady-Campbell said each senior, who began attending NECA in the 10th grade, had much to handle during their time at the school.

“Our students were still athletes, in the band, in the choir and they also had to each earn 25 hours of community service,” Broady-Campbell said. “I’m so proud of them. They had to balance their high school schedule and extra work.”

Broady-Campbell said the graduating class’ credit hours are significant because most Mississippi graduates finish high school with approximately six to 12 hours of college credit.

NECA was created to facilitate community growth, providing students with the skills necessary to be career and college ready through accelerated learning courses.

The seniors have had a long journey since joining NECA, but they believe they are ready for college.

“I took courses toward my major,” senior Robert Bradford Jr. said. “Balancing work, sports and education at the same time was kind of rigorous.”

Bradford said his calculus and trigonometry classes would help him earn his computer science degree. He plans to attend Mississippi State University.

Though challenging, the seniors all said they felt proud for taking the NECA courses.

“It makes me feel proud of myself for taking the initiative, and it really defines who you are,” Robert Bradford Jr. said.

Broady-Campbell said the credits students earned were not at their cost, and thus students were able to save approximately a year’s worth of college tuition and fees.

“It’s important because we’re getting ahead and it goes toward our future,” senior Nakeyia Riggs said. “It was a privilege for us, we didn’t have to get into this program.”

Riggs said her psychology and sociology courses at NECA helped her understand people better, which will help with plans to become a registered nurse. Riggs will attend the nursing program at Alcorn State University.

The seniors said they had to jump through many hoops to earn their credits, facing academic trials their other peers did not.

“ACT scores were one of the hardest things to do, but the teachers actually helped us with ACT prep class,” senior Kirdis Clark said. “It paid off in the end because we were able to take classes that regular high school students weren’t able to take.”

Clark will attend Hinds Community College on a basketball scholarship.

The college-level courses available to the NECA students included college algebra and arts and music appreciation.

“I think jumping into the program was a hard journey because we had to learn at a younger age to be an example for our peers,” senior Jhanasia Dent said.

The 2017 graduates are T’Angelek Beckworth, Robert Bradford, Kirdis Clark, Aaron Coleman, Jhanasia Dent, Shamona Hawkins, Hannah Jackson, Destiny Lyles, Carlee McNealy, Kailyn Piper, NaKeyia Riggs, Christian Tarver, Ambernecia Temple and JaMar White.