Dual Enrollment

By Rochelle Celesta

April 17, 2024

A student from Furness is taking a class at UPenn?!

Being a high school student means you have many things to explore and to prepare for what you are planning to do when you finally get to finish those four years of imprisonment. But here in Furness, students are competing against each other to present the best of them to get their dream college. However, strengthening your chance in your dream college isn’t limited to your achievements in school. Spreading your wings outside of school can also take your college application up a notch, and this time, we have one of the students who can motivate you to do the same!

Vinella Jill Vinca, or you may call her Jill, is a 17-year-old girl from Indonesia who moved to South Philadelphia in 2023, and enrolled in Furness High School. She decided to broaden her horizons of art and participated in many art programs in 2023 to further her chances in college applications, and there’s no doubt that she is a pro! Jill has been creating and making money from art and graphic design since she was in elementary school. Not only her art skills, she is also an excellent student who showed an amazing academic skill in Furness. As she plans to pursue her dream of art in a university, Jill feels that she must receive early college credits before graduating high school to gain more experience and prepare her for the future. So in November of 2023, she applied for a spring program in one of the most prestigious universities and an Ivy League, the University of Pennsylvania.

         Interested in the history of art courses, Jill decided to apply for UPenn’s high school Spring Program 2024 dual enrollment to experience studying at such a high-rated university. The selection process was tight and there were many students—not only from Furness but from other schools—that applied as well. Coming from a low–income family, Jill thought this was a rare opportunity for her as the program offered full scholarships for students registered in the School District of Philadelphia. However, she strived to show her best to get this opportunity. Jill’s experience at the Pennsylvania Academy in Fine Arts (PAFA) in creating oil paintings was one of her experiences that she can prove to UPenn. Jill submitted her transcripts, including her PSAT scores, and of course, her talent to win the scholarship!!

      Not only in art, she is also active in media work. Jill has made tremendous contributions to the school’s Media Club, and she participated in the WHYY Summer Internship last summer as a student journalist, many of her peers can tell you that she is truly a gem! Some call her “multi-talented” and “creative,” which represents her very well! Her list of great achievements made a great impression on UPenn, and a few weeks later she received an email, headed “CONGRATULATIONS”

     It is truly a dream come true for this amazing student, as she is now taking classes at UPenn for dual enrollment every Wednesday in the evenings. She first wanted to take Art History of Mesopotamia, but she has now shifted to taking Psychology to broaden her knowledge and interest. And now, she is living life in spring! 

Jill explained how the dual enrollment program helped her to grow as a student and an individual herself. With this new experience, she learned new things about psychology and received unexpected psychological tips, knowing the area, how to adjust and organize her times, and meeting new people who share various perspectives which she can learn from. 

“Studying in college is completely different compared to high school. It’s less strict and no one tells you to make an effort besides yourself, so it’s all your responsibility to make it until the end. The students that are in the program are highly intelligent, taking everything seriously, and very collective,” said Jill. She also stated how grateful she is because because of the program, she gets to do college learning and a lot of research experience. She takes that benefit to interact and socialize with peers. 

Committing herself to dual enrollment, Jill admitted how she believed this is an amazing opportunity for students to take and grow from while also saving some future fees that might come from the college credits needed. Thus, attending the dual enrollment programs is something that she recommends, especially if you’re planning on making a good resume!

Of course, there are difficulties for Jill as a high school student taking a college-level class, where she stated, “The class is a 3-hour lecture once a week, reflection paper every month, so I have a really tight schedule, balancing school, college program, volunteer work, and also afterschool activities.”

Despite all the stepbacks, with the support of her family and friends, Jill continuously makes efforts to do more creative things, volunteering, and most importantly, doing what she loves the most and preparing for her career goals. Best of luck, Jill!