NOVA and Battlefield Push Students Farther thru CASIIT Program

This past May, Battlefield High School (of Prince William County Schools) hosted a special honors ceremony for seniors graduating from the Center for Applied Sciences, Interactive and Informational Technology (CASIIT) program. And, while all attending students were celebrated by administrators and teachers for working hard in high school, several left that event having been honored for earning truly exceptional distinctions.

Representatives from NOVA’s Office of Dual Enrollment were on hand to present 16 graduating seniors with their hard-earned credentials from the college. These Battlefield students earned A.S. degrees in information technology, uniform certificates of general studies, the CSC in database specialist or the CSC in network engineering. Five were presented with governor’s medallions to wear at their high school graduations. 

While thousands of students take dual enrollment courses in their high schools, these students went above and beyond the normal high school day by taking advantage of Early Online College courses or independent dual enrollment classes. The Early Online College program allows students to take certain NOVA classes asynchronously and tuition-free. “Witnessing these students beam with pride at their own accomplishments was the highlight of my week” said Lacey Faunce, dual enrollment coordinator for PWCS. 

And hard work certainly has paid off; these students are leaving high school with in-demand skills and certifications. And even more impressive–they’re leaving high school with marketable credentials and no student debt, all thanks to the partnership between NOVA and PWCS.

Submitted by:

Lacey Faunce, Dual Enrollment Coordinator, LFaunce@nvcc.edu