Bishop Miege High School student May Stanley is involved in many school activities.  She is on her school's swim team, is president of the history club, is active in the German program, and she attends college at her high school.  Through Johnson County Community College's College Now program students like Stanley can attend college without ever leaving their high school campus.

"I was a College Now student for two years and found it to be one of my best decisions," Stanley said.  "The College Now classes occur inside of my school and are taught by familiar high school teachers.  We follow a syllabus provided by JCCC, using the same textbooks and lesson plans that are offered at the college."

Stanley is an exceptional student with high ambitions. During her time at Bishop Miege she has already earned more than 23 hours of college credits through the College Now program. "The number one advantage of JCCC's College Now Program is that it sets (high school) students apart," Stanley said. "It gives universities proof that these students are willing to work hard and exceed expectations."

And exceeding expectations is exactly what Stanley does.  So much so, that her school counselor nominated her for the Nacel Congress Bundestag Vocational Youth Exchange award.  Nacel Open Door is an organization that provides foreign exchange opportunities for outstanding students who wish to broaden their cultural perspectives.

Because of her excellent academic record, advanced learning plan through JCCC's College Now program, interest in the German language and culture, and familiarity with foreign exchange programs, Stanley became one of only 25 finalists in the nation to receive the award.  She is spending a year in Germany with a host family to immerse herself in the German culture and has the opportunity to participate in engineering internships.

Stanley will split her time between two host families, attend a gymnasium (a German high school) and intern with two engineering firms, Herrenknecht and Europapark Rust.  "I have German heritage and have taken four years of German language and culture (including two years through College Now), so I am looking forward to experiencing Germany firsthand," Stanley said.  "I'm also a bit scared of the language barrier, but I know that by the end of the year, it will not be a problem."

When Stanley returns from Germany she plans to attend Colorado School of Mines in Golden to major in mining or civil engineering and hopes to someday return to Germany.

Find out more about becoming a College Now student.