Double degrees: Students graduate from high school and college — in same month

When Tate Liming walked across the stage to accept his diploma at Felicity-Franklin High School in May, he was a step ahead of his fellow graduates — with a college degree already in hand.

Liming is one of eight students who will graduate this year from high school and with an associate degree from UC Clermont’s manufacturing engineering technology program. All participated in UC’s College Credit Plus, Ohio’s dual enrollment program that provides students in grades 7-12 the opportunity to earn college and high school credits simultaneously by taking courses from Ohio colleges or universities. The college’s Manufacturing Engineering Technology program, located at Grant Career Center in Bethel, Ohio, prepares students for a variety of positions within the manufacturing sector.

 “I heard about the program, and I was immediately interested because my family is in manufacturing,” said Liming, whose grandfather started L&L Plastics in Felicity, Ohio. “I went to Grant and took a tour, met instructors and got really excited. When they told me I could finish a degree by the end of high school, I knew I had to do it.”

Hailey Sampson, who recently graduated from Bethel-Tate High School near Grant, said she was drawn to the manufacturing program because of a lifelong interest in engineering. “Growing up, I was always outside building things,” said Sampson, who will finish her associate degree this fall. She now plans to continue her education in another field and believes the introduction to college-level work has been invaluable.

“Taking college classes in high school made me more prepared for my next step,” said Sampson. “The work ethic needed is different. I’ve learned how to meet deadlines and manage my time.”

Students in the UC Clermont program gain specialized education in manufacturing processes, including production management, computer-aided design (CAD) and robotics. The associate degree’s hands-on nature prepares graduates to be hired immediately as machinists, CNC programmers, designers, detailers and inspectors for engineering firms.

Liming enjoyed learning to use the state-of-the-art equipment in the Grant labs.

“I loved working on the computer and 3-D modeling — creating something on a screen, then taking it to a machine and seeing it come to life,” he said. “Seeing your own work turned into something real is a different feeling.”

For this spring’s sophomore class project, 20 students worked together to create a roboticized coaster dispenser. The students were divided into teams each charged with a different task, such as programming the robot and electrical panel, engineering the conveyor or creating LED lights.

Feature image at top: UC Clermont and Bethel-Tate High School graduate Hailey Sampson works with a computer numerical control (CNC) machine in the college’s Manufacturing Engineering Technology lab, located at Grant Career Center in Bethel, Ohio. Sampson earned her associate degree and high school diploma simultaneously, thanks to UC’s College Credit Plus program. Photo/Danny Kidd