Local high school students have a unique opportunity to get a jumpstart on their college careers through the business and university transfer (UT) programs at Lakeland.

The high school cohort program is free and offers students from Lloydminster Comprehensive High School and Holy Rosary High School spots in first-year courses where they work alongside college students and earn the same credits.

Dominic Madlang-awa, a current Lakeland student in his first year of the UT program, took advantage of the opportunity as a Grade 12 student. He took introductory sociology last year, while balancing a full course load at school as well as athletics. It was difficult to balance all of his commitments, he says, but worth it in the end.

“Taking the class while I was still in high school helped me to know what to expect from college,” he explains. “I learned how to be responsible for my own studying and time management, and it enhanced my writing skills, especially when it came to college essays. That really helped me be successful when I came to college, because I already knew what I was doing.”

This year, students were given the opportunity to enrol in introductory psychology sociology, economics or computers. The courses are free to high school students, with the college paying for half of the class and the school division paying for the other half. Students are only responsible for purchasing the required textbook.

For Madlang-awa, having the opportunity to experience Lakeland in high school also helped him while planning his post-secondary studies. After completing the UT program, he intends to study nursing.

“Taking a Lakeland course while still in high school really helped me understand all that Lakeland has to offer,” he says. “It has such a strong support system. My instructor, Gordon Jangula, was really friendly and supportive. He knew we were in high school and made certain we got all the support we need to help us be successful in that class and in college. Staying in Lloydminster for the UT program is so beneficial to me as well. Lakeland is close to home and I've saved a lot of money by going through this program. It's really made the transition to college so smooth.”

The experience not only gave Madlang-awa confidence in Lakeland, it also gave him confidence in himself, inspiring him to take the lead through the college's ambassador program.

“It just gave me the confidence to expand my horizons,” Madlang-awa explains. “It helped me learn to be more outgoing and have more confidence in myself, so I didn't hesitate to get involved with the ambassador program.”