News Ossian Student Earns High School Diploma, Two NICC Degrees Posted 9 June 2009 It takes a certain determined high school student, confident in her goals and abilities, to graduate from high school and earn two associate degrees from NICC simultaneously. Kyleigh Kriener, the daughter of Arnold and Rene Kriener of Ossian, not only took full college credit course loads, but managed numerous extracurricular responsibilities in her journey to receive a college education. On May 14 Kriener received associate in arts and associate in science degrees from NICC, and ten days later she walked across the South Winneshiek High School stage to accept her high school diploma. Kriener’s efforts serve as the example of what an extremely motivated high school student in a cost-conscious era can achieve. “Initially I decided to take advantage of NICC’s offer because it was dual credit and the credits are transferable to almost every college that I was interested in. At first it was free credits, but as I accumulated more credits and had to pay for some of my classes I realized how affordable NICC is. It was a great opportunity. I also wanted to make sure that I was prepared for the program I’m going into at the University of Iowa, and the higher levels of science and math offered at NICC will prove to be a great advantage,” Kriener said. Kriener is transferring to the University of Iowa this fall to study biomedical engineering. The driven high school senior found that extra persistence and drive made her final school years before college memorable ones. “My final year of high school has been a blast! By pushing myself as hard as I could, I found out more about myself personally. I found that the only limits a person has are the ones set by themselves. I think that because I pushed myself so hard to finish my degrees and graduate from high school really benefited my road to self-actualization,” said Kriener. Kriener balanced her academic and career goals with a full schedule of high school involvement. While balancing 22.5 credits from NICC, she studied full time in high school, had a lead in the musical, served as captain of the cheerleading squad, participated in cross country, played in marching band and applied her talents on the piano for her church, was a student council senior vice president and earned membership in National Honor Society. The young student also worked about 16 hours a week, played varsity basketball, had a role in the school the play, the variety show, concert band, and accompanied school choirs on piano. At NICC, Kriener was a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and earned a GPA of 3.5 or higher. “College classes really help students to think critically and also teach study skills and time management. I’m very prepared to continue my education because I took a variety of classes. I gained different experiences from the various class formats I took, such as Iowa Communications Network (ICN), hybrid, online and face-to- face classes,” she said. Kriener enrolled in Pre-calculus, Chemistry I and II and College Physics at NICC, and encountered some of the most advanced coursework she had ever experienced. Several NICC instructors made a lasting impact on her, she said. Science instructors Cheryl Donlon and Lori Moore, math instructor Mary Ellen Fulton and social science instructor Val Gunhus demonstrated thorough knowledge in their fields that helped Kriener to realize how important earning a higher education is for young people. “I also tried to push myself hard in their classes ­ they just had that affect on me. I wanted to learn more. They were very approachable and their classes held my attention,” she said. To learn more about NICC’s dual enrollment agreements with high schools throughout northeast Iowa, visit here.

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