In May of 2020, Ottumwa High School senior, Jordyn Salter, will accomplish something that is rare for her peers. She will graduate from high school and earn an associates degree from Indian Hills Community College.
Her path to take advantage of Ottumwa’s dual enrollment opportunities began her junior year. She completed all concurrent enrollment courses at OHS, took a few courses on the IHCC campus, and the remainder online. In her spare time, she was involved in sorority, Shark Club, was a GEAR UP Ambassador, and worked at the district’s Prime Time Youth Care program and Good Samaritan Center.
“She is very determined,” said Barb Hanson, GEAR UP Coordinator at OHS. “She has the skill set to advocate for herself.”
Salter plans to attend the University of Northern Iowa and major in elementary education. She will begin her college career as a junior, and has been accepted into the School of Education. In five years she sees herself in a kindergarten classroom in southeast Iowa, in Ottumwa or close.
“It was hard in the beginning,” she said. “I was a big procrastinator. Now I know how to study in college.” She is busy this fall applying for scholarships. To date she has received $4,200, in addition to the $36,000 she has saved by taking her first two years while still in high school.
She hopes to convince her younger brother to follow a similar path. “I wish I had started sooner,” she said. “It was a lot in so little time. When you break it down, it’s achievable.”
