Wouldn't it have been nice to complete your senior year of High School and your Freshman year of college all at once? Think about how far ahead of the game you would have been, about the opportunities you could have had, and about the money you or your parents could have saved. Since 2000, the APU Early Honors Program has helped make that scenario a reality for many of Alaska's most exceptional high school seniors, and this May, will wrap-up its fourth successful year with a total of 75 students having completed the program since its inception.

Early Honors is a one-of-a-kind program that was created in order to provide talented and motivated local high school seniors with both an alternative to the traditional senior year of high school and a challenging springboard into college. Students enrolled in the program simultaneously complete their senior year of high school and their freshman year in college, and upon graduation, are ready to enter the college of their choice as sophomores.

"APU's Early Honors program is the definition of a success story-it is a true win/win for everyone," says Tim Rawson, Alaska Pacific University's Founding Director of the Early Honors Program. Not only does it provide a unique learning opportunity for the students, the program also benefits local school districts, parents and APU.

· The program provides motivated high school seniors with a challenging college level alternative to the traditional senior year of high school.

· The program provides students with a secure transition to the new rigors of college academics.

· Since students remain enrolled in their high schools, it allows the school districts the opportunity to offer another avenue for learning while maintaining student enrollment numbers.

· Early Honors students take a full load of college-level classes on the APU campus, but can still maintain their association with their high school through sports, drama, orchestra or what ever extracurricular or social activities they choose.

· APU obtains a group of exceptional and enthusiastic students who enhance the campus environment.

· Parents often see the program as an opportunity for their child to re-engage in learning through a rigorous academic setting.

· The program makes good financial sense for parents because it allows their child to remain at home and complete their freshman year of college.

A typical Early Honors student's curriculum begins with an opportunity to join a Journeys Trip along with all other APU freshman or transfer students. Journeys Trips are supervised outdoor adventure trips that can include backpacking trips or sea kayaking, and serve as a fun and challenging introduction to APU and its style of Active Learning. Then students are asked to attend an additional Early Honors orientation session. "EH students also attend an off-campus orientation, this way the students and faculty have a chance to get to know each other, talk about the coming year and begin to form a new identity as APU Early Honors students," says Mark Faller, Early Honors Program Director.

APU's academic year is broken into blocks and sessions. For Early Honors students, the block is offered in September and January. During the four week autumn block EH students take "Critical Thinking" and "Fitness for Life" courses. During the sessions which run from October to December, and February to May, students can choose from classes such as: Mathematics, Composition and Introduction to Sociology, American Government, Physics, in order to complete their high school graduation requirements or electives of their choice.

The winter block in January includes an optional study abroad opportunity which is preceded by an intensive study of the subject, presentations, journaling during the trip and further work when the students return.

Study abroad trips have included travel to England for "The Discovery of King Arthur," which allowed students to explore the relationship between the development of the English language and the history of Great Britain. The second year travel course, "Barbarians in the Garden: English and American authors in Italy," took students to Italy to focus their attention on why that country is such a magnet for Anglophone writers such as John Keats, Mark Twain, and D.H. Lawrence. In 2003, students participated in an educational trip to Spain entitled, "Cervantes, Don Quixote and the Timeless Quest," where students explored the timelessness of the book renowned by many as the first modern novel. This year students traveled to Greece for the "History and Culture of Greece," an exploration of the Greek origins of Western civilization. While visiting the theatre at Epidaurus this January, EH student Ashley Johnston wrote the following in her journal:

"What an amazing experience, to stand where drama grew from nothing and developed itself among the ancient epics and mythologies."

APU is pleased to announce the creation of the First National Bank Alaska, Early Honors Scholarship. This new scholarship program was generously funded by First National Bank Alaska in order to provide scholarships for students needing financial assistance in order to participate in the Early Honors program. Thanks to the Bank's generous gift, significant scholarships are now available for students meeting certain income requirements. For more information, please call the admissions office at (907) 564-8338.		Following their graduation, APU's Early Honors students have gone on to colleges all over the country, and several students have chosen to continue their college education right here at APU. Jacquelyn Cox who entered the Early Honors Program in its first year graduated from APU in December 2003 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Biology. The Early Honors Program is not for every high school senior. It is for those who are ready for a new academic challenge, are self motivated and want to get a jump start on their college careers. If you know an exceptional high school student who is up for the challenge, please let us know about them. For more information, call Jessica Carr, Co-director, Admissions at (907) 564-8338.