DOWAGIAC — Though Dowagiac Union High School’s graduation is not until next month, eight seniors have already walked across the stage at Southwestern Michigan College, taking degrees home with them in green certificate covers.

Dowagiac Union Schools is graduating its first class of Early Middle College students this year after the program was approved in 2016. The Early Middle College program allows students to earn an associate degree or certificate for little or no cost by completing a fifth year of high school. Students delay high school graduation for one year while they take college courses.

Students graduating from Dowagiac’s EMC program include:

• Yaritza Castillo-Mendez

• Gwen Summons

• William Preston

• Nick File

• Madison Bjork

• Jamie O’Brien

• Tonya Roberts

• Sophia Stockwell

The class averaged 64 credits each over the course of the program, and students maintained an average grade point average of 3.08, according to program director Mikki Spagnoli.

“Our goal was that we wanted to provide an opportunity for the school, students and community to really offer something that would benefit everybody,” Spagnoli said. “We wanted to give these students an opportunity that they may never have gotten without this type of program.”

The graduating students would spend part of their day at the high school and part of their day at SMC. Though they did not have the same high school experience as their peers, the students who participated in the program said they were proud to be the first graduating EMC students from Dowagiac.

“It feels good, but it was really stressful at first because we were the very first class that was doing this,” said Nick File, 19, who is studying criminal justice. “It was a lot of work, and we had to mature faster than other students, I think. It was do-or-die, but it taught me responsibility.”

“We were all kind of working together to figure out how we could do this,” added Jamie O’Brien, 19, who plans to become a registered nurse.

Despite the stress and a heavy workload, the students said they did not regret participating in the program, saying that they believe it set them up for financial success and prepared them to further their education.

O’Brien, File and fellow graduate Madison Bjork said they would encourage students who enter the EMC program to persevere and keep with the program. To the graduates, the EMC program was worth the effort.

“You have to want it, and you have to work for it,” File said. “But it’s a really cool thing to do.”

Spagnoli said she was proud of all of the Dowagiac EMC graduates, and that she is looking forward to seeing many more graduating classes from the EMC program for years to come.

“These students have a full associate’s degree without having to pay anything for it,” she said. “To be able to provide that opportunity to them leaves me speechless.”