This spring, a group of Orcutt Academy High School (OAHS) seniors will achieve something few high school students can claim: graduating with associate degrees from Allan Hancock College while completing high school. 

The students are part of the first cohort in Orcutt Academy’s Early College Cadre (ECC) program, which allows students to complete college-level coursework while earning high school diplomas.

This year, 26 students from the program are expected to participate in Hancock’s May 22 commencement ceremony, marking the culmination of four years of rigorous academic work. 

Started in 2022 through a partnership between Hancock and OAHS, the ECC program allows students to complete a 60-unit associate degree pathway during grades 9-12.

The program includes a combination of concurrent enrollment classes taught during the school day at OAHS, college coursework offered before the school day at OAHS and summer classes at Hancock. 

What began as a pilot program with a handful of students has expanded into four active cohorts, one for each grade level at OAHS.

“The Orcutt Academy early college program shows what’s possible when schools work together,” said Kevin G. Walthers, Hancock College superintendent/president.

“These students are accomplishing something extraordinary by earning college degrees before graduating high school, and they’re proving that with the right support and opportunity, students can achieve far more than they may have imagined possible,” he said.

For student Ashley Roepke, the program offered an opportunity to get ahead academically while building confidence for the future. This spring, she will graduate with two associate degrees from Hancock, one in arts and humanities, and another in social and behavioral sciences, before transferring to Cal Poly SLO to study biological sciences.

“I wanted to pursue a degree in high school because it would save a lot of time and money later on,” Roepke said. “Now that I’ve taken all these college classes, I feel much more confident about going to a university and pursuing my goals.”

Roepke said balancing high school coursework with college classes was challenging at times, but the experience helped her develop discipline and time-management skills that will serve her long after graduation.

“When I first came into the program, I didn’t really think I could do it,” she said. “But I took the opportunity anyway. I would tell other students that you can do hard things. Even if you don’t think you can, try anyway.”

OAHS Vice Principal Josh Ostini, who helped develop the program, said the success of the inaugural graduating class reflects years of collaboration and commitment between Hancock and Orcutt Academy staff.

“It’s been a true partnership with Hancock to make this a reality and see it through to the end,” Ostini said. “Watching these students grow academically and personally over the last four years has been incredible. They’ve set a new standard for what’s possible.”

Students in the program say one of the unexpected benefits was the close-knit community formed through taking college classes together. 

“A lot of my closest friends are from the Cadre,” said OAHS senior Alliana Rosas. “We went through all of this together, and I think that made a huge difference.”

The success of the Early College Cadre program has inspired Hancock to expand similar opportunities to additional high school partners throughout the region.

The college is also partnering with Ernest Righetti High School and Lompoc High School to bring the program to their campuses beginning fall 2026.

“This is about changing the trajectory of students’ lives,” Walthers said. “Programs like this open doors, reduce the cost of higher education, and help students see themselves as college graduates long before they ever step onto a university campus.”