Special to the American Press

Alli Richard will walk across two graduation stages this spring as she earned both her diploma from DeQuincy High School and an associate of general studies from Sowela Technical Community College.

“It was a lot of hard work,” Richard said. “With finals and final projects in the midst of other senior responsibilities.” Those responsibilities include senior class president, numerous clubs, tutoring and volunteer work. She will also graduate at the top of her class.

Richard completed high school and Sowela courses through the Virtual Instruction Program, a dual enrollment option for Calcasieu Parish students. VIP provides live instruction from one central location to all 11 high schools in the district.

Richard chose VIP because she didn’t want to leave her high school to take college classes. “I didn’t want to miss out on the high school experience,” she said. “VIP also boosted my GPA because the classes are on a 5-point scale, which enabled me to qualify for the highest level of TOPS.”

She advises someone considering this opportunity: “Don’t take on too much from the start. My teachers were so helpful. VIP really does a great job of bridging the gap between high school and college and they help you manage it.”
After graduation, Richard plans to pursue a law degree. Thanks to her dual enrollment courses, she will have completed two of six years of her program, fast-tracking her to the workforce.

Richard and 374 of her fellow Sowela classmates are eligible to receive degrees. Sowela will host its 61st commencement ceremony at 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 20, at the Lake Charles Event Center. Phillips 66 Lake Charles Manufacturing Complex General Manager Scot Tyler will give the commencement address.
Sowela’s graduation ceremony is open to the public.