Sleepless nights, constantly coffee drinking, endless studying, and dreaming of ……tissues.

This is the life of a group of students that attend high school and college at the same time.

The dual credit program is an excellent opportunity for students wanting to excel and get a head start on their career while also saving money on college.

“We were trying to develop a strategy to replace a retiring workforce,” Lockheed Martin’s Joe Wilson said. “We wanted to make sure we transferred the knowledge and experience employees had before they retired. So back in 1999, we partnered with the Alamo Colleges to develop a pipeline of young workers prepared to take jobs in our industry. The rest is history.”

The students are taught by actual college professors and receive enough actual college credits by the time they graduate to earn an associate’s degree in the field they chose to go into. Depending on the academy they choose, they also may receive a paid internship.

“I was very happy to take the [Health Professions Academy] class because I had taught at Health Careers High School for seven years and was experienced in working with juniors interested in the health professions,” professor Victoria McCormick said. “I saw myself as a logical choice to teach the class.”

Each student can pick from five different programs: Information Technology and Security Academy, Advanced Technology and Manufacturing Academy, Health Professions Academy, Heavy Equipment Academy and Aerospace Academy. They each having their own unique set of benefits.

“A graduate from the Alamo Academies program can come out with [about] 32 college credits that they don’t have to pay for,” career counselor Tammy Cantu said. “They learn what is expected of them while they are in class at either St. Phillips College or San Antonio College.”

The students have late night study sessions for hours and often miss out on a lot of social time with their friends, which they say is worth it.

“I feel really good about the program and the friends I have made,” junior Jordan Bell said. “But I know I’ve also lost a lot of social time.”

The students in the program are not only dedicated to their education, but are also gaining a head start in experience of college life and adulthood.

“At first I didn’t realize what the program was until I started it. I feel that I am growing as a person,” junior Nandhi Brown said.

Some students are so dedicated that they enjoy studying for exams and practicals. (Practicals are like a hands on test.)

“Before the practical test, I studied so hard to the point where I had a dream about the tissues. Out of all my classes, I enjoy studying for anatomy the most,” junior Martha Zamora said.

The professors are very enthusiastic about teaching the courses, especially when the students are into it.

“I enjoy teaching the class because the students are very motivated and working toward excellence. They are interested and interesting,” McCormick said.

Students who wish to apply for the program can get an application in the career center and will have to sign up on a few websites that contribute to the application process. Students then need to take the TSI Test to determine if they are accepted and will have a meeting with the directors of each Academy, presenting their acceptance letter and answering any questions they may have.