When Chelsea sophomore Kaylee Martin held the letter in her hand from the Eastern Michigan University (EMU) Early College Alliance Program she was a little nervous not knowing what to expect. But upon on finding out she was accepted, she was so happy it left her speechless.
“I was so surprised and thrilled,” the 16 year old stated.
The ECA as it is known is a very hard program to get into, as very few people are accepted from area High Schools each year, based on availability as per the requirements based on population and median income. It is a very unique educational program designed to fully immerse high school-aged students into the post-secondary learning environment. ECA students have the opportunity to earn up to 60 EMU credits—the tuition and books paid for by the program. So upon turning 18 not only will Kaylee have a High School Diploma she will be half the way through to receiving a Bachelor’s degree.
Kaylee was selected out of hundreds of applicants and was chosen for her merits in academics. And intelligence runs deep in her family as her older brother Tyler is on pace to earn a degree in Automotive engineering and her sister Carli attends Ferris State University where she plans to get a degree in social work.
“When I read the acceptance letter, it was very emotional to me,” Kaylee’s mother Melissa said. “I was so happy for her and I teared up a little bit. I know how hard she works and how much this means to her.”
Kaylee’s mom and dad Kevin had noticed that Kaylee just wasn’t into High School like other children were and a friend of Melissa’s mentioned the ECA program to them. They didn’t know much about the program so they went to an information night about it. They came away from that night with a renewed excitement for their youngest daughter’s education. But it was ultimately Kaylee that decided to apply and commit to it. There were numerous forms to fill out, essays to write, and it is a very hard program to get into but her persistence and dedication paid off as Kaylee was accepted.
The next year will hold an untold number of firsts for the shy Kaylee but with her families support they know she will do fine. They are excited to see what the future will bring and what accomplishments she will achieve.
“We are so proud of Kaylee, the self-awareness and courage that it took to make the decision to step away from the mainstream and try something new and different,’ her mother states.”
In her spare time, Kaylee likes to walk, read, and spend time with her family and her favorite dog Mo. She knows the ECA will be tougher than High School and will take up much of her time but she’s aware of that and ready.
“I’m so excited, I can’t wait until the Fall,” Kaylee smiled.
