Ready to Move On

Some people look back on high school as their glory days, while others are eager to move on with their lives. Kimora Anderson was ready to move on.

Anderson, a 2018 Stockbridge High School graduate and former Gordon State at McDonough ambassador, was able to move on through the dual enrollment program.

"I won't say I hated high school, but it wasn't right for me," she said.

Anderson earned her Associate of Arts degree this spring and celebrated with other Gordon State College graduates before she even received her high school diploma.

She will enter Agnes Scott College in the fall where she plans to double major in anthropology and history.

During her time at Gordon State at McDonough, she became very passionate about history, a subject which she hasn't always been that fond.

"The American History course with Professor (Stacey) Watson was unlike any other course I've ever taken. I hated history, but she approached it like a detective and made the subject very interesting, while also encouraging discussion," Anderson explained.

"Her class encouraged me to change my major from biology to history," Anderson laughed.

Through the dual enrollment program, Anderson not only found her new love for history, but she also discovered other essential life lessons and experiences.

"One of the most valuable things I learned as a college student is that it is okay to struggle and to ask for help. You're not always going to excel at every subject," Anderson said.
She also admitted she entered the program somewhat naively and offered a few words of advice for students contemplating dual enrollment.

"I went into it (dual enrollment) thinking it would be easy. But I was so wrong," she laughed. "I didn't know anything about studying or time management, and I had to learn that quickly."

While Anderson is excited to be graduating, she said she would miss Gordon State College.

"It was a really great experience and stepping stone for me," she explained. "I'm going to miss the SARC (Student Activity Recreation Center) and the mini-booths by the window; that was my quiet retreat."

For more information on the Dual Enrollment program at Gordon State College, visit http://www.gordonstate.edu/admissions/dual-enrollment

--Cristy McAbee