Shooting for the Stars

Bailey Walker says she’s always known she’s wanted to be a doctor. In a few months, she’ll be not one, but two steps closer to that goal.

Bailey will soon be a Haverling High School graduate, having also received a degree from SUNY Corning Community College. In fact, she’ll receive her Associates Degree before even walking across the stage to accept her high school diploma.

Bailey began taking Accelerated College Education (ACE) courses her sophomore year of high school — a concurrent enrollment program that allows high school students to choose from more than 60 SUNY CCC courses to take at their high school at no cost.

“I knew this would give me a huge kickstart,” says Bailey, who hopes to attend Keuka College in the fall. From there, she plans to go to medical school and study Cardiology.

Cardiology

“Four years ago, my Grandpa was saved by a Cardiologist,” she says. “[This person] literally saved his life. That’s what I want to be able to do.”

Walker’s senior year course-load has consisted entirely of ACE courses, having already taken three online courses through CCC this past winter and another over the summer session.

But working to achieve 62 college credits in such a short amount of time has not been easy.

“It’s hard,” she recalls. “I have a lot of homework and I try to balance that on top of sports and everything else I’m involved in.”

That lists consists of playing soccer, both indoor and outdoor track, serving on the board of Student Council and participating in Haverling’s senior play.

With such a packed schedule, one can’t help but credit Walker’s work-ethic for helping her achieve such a hefty goal. In fact, she’s only the second Haverling High School student ever to do achieve such a feat.

“When younger kids in my high school see I’ve done this, I [hope] it will spark something in them to want to do something like it,” she says.

And, when asked if she’d offer those students any advice, Walker says, “I’d tell people to shoot for the stars. If you think you can do it, absolutely do it.”

For more information on ACE courses offered at SUNY Corning Community College or to accelerate your future today, click here. Contact ace@corning-cc.edu or 607-962-9533.