First Danbury HS Students Graduate from Community College

DANBURY, CT — Four students from the first cohort of the Danbury Early College Opportunity program at Danbury High School graduated from Naugatuck Valley Community College in May; these students each earned an Associate Degree while attending high school and graduated from DHS on June 19.

The following DHS students received degrees on May 23 from NVCC: Veronica Becker, Gabriel Campos, Theodore Hodgdon and Kayla Downs. Kayla graduated summa cum laude; Gabriel and Theodore graduated cum laude. Students earned degrees in general studies or computer information systems.

"I am so proud of these students," said DECO coordinator Dr. Sarah Roy. "The college courses are
challenging, and students have to work hard. It’s a sustained effort."

In addition to the four graduates, 13 DECO students received certificates from NVCC in management information systems and/or microcomputer networking. Some students will continue working toward their Associate Degree while others will move on to a four-year college.

The 2019 graduates entered the DECO program when it began in 2015 in its first cohort of 100 stu-
dents. The program has already accepted its fifth cohort of 76 students to begin as DHS freshmen in the fall.

The DECO degree program is offered by Naugatuck Valley Community College at the high school as part of the program’s curriculum. Students begin accelerating their high school requirements so that by sophomore or junior year they begin college-level courses. They can expect to complete the Associate Degree in four to six years. DHS is the second high school in Connecticut to offer such a program.