IN THE CLASSROOM:High schoolers reach for the stars

Jasmin Sahagun hopes to start her own cosmetics business one day. Looking to get through college and into the working world as fast as possible, the 17-year-old Huntington Beach resident enrolled in an Astronomy 100 course through Coastline Community College — although she has yet to graduate high school.

Now, thanks to a rapidly growing program from Coastline Community College, Huntington Beach students can attend college classes right on their own high school campuses.

In its second semester at Ocean View High School, the Banking for College Program has quickly expanded over the last few years. Classes normally cap off at 30 students, but Asst. Principal Rod Raschke decided to keep the door open for any student who was interested. And it paid, off since the sign-ups for this class, taught by astronomer Otto G. Richter, has drawn more than it’s fill. The class met for the first time Monday, with 39 students filling all but two chairs in the room.

Richter, a resident of Costa Mesa, has a 15-year background in astronomy research, eight years of which he spent employed at the Hubble Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore.

“I think it’s an excellent program and an opportunity for the kids so that they get a chance to experience college and classes the high school district can’t offer,” Raschke said. Plus, every course falls under the general education guidelines accepted for transfer into the Cal State or UC school systems.

More than 10 high schools in both the Huntington Beach Union and Newport-Mesa districts now participate in the programs. When the program began at Westminster High School, less than 20 students participated. Now enrollment has reached almost 350, program dean Shanon Christiansen said Monday.

These courses are different from advanced placement or honors courses, Christiansen said. The high schools round up participating students, but after that, it is in every way a college course, he said. Schools run up to two classes on campus in English, anthropology, philosophy, music, political science, speech, psychology and history, and more are available at varying times between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. weekly.

There is almost no cost for taking the courses, Christiansen said. The $20-per-unit enrollment fee is waived for high school students — all that’s required is a $13 processing fee. Coastline even picked up the tab for all the required texts.

“Then we will use them until they wear out,” Christiansen said.

“We want students who don’t know if they want to go to college to take one class, then maybe take a second. Next thing they know, they have six to nine college units added up,” he said, adding that is almost an entire semester of studies.

Students expressed any number of reasons for enrolling in the course. Sophomore Allison Sweetland took the course hoping that studying space will assist in her aspirations toward becoming a comic book illustrator.

“Learning about astronomy might help me improve my stories, the art and the storylines,” 15-year-old Allison said. “I think the only problem in my mind is the homework load.”

Many students agreed with Allison that the added workload to their already packed schedules could be a concern. Even meeting once a week for three hours pulls from study time for high school classes, 17-year-old Jasmin said.

Presently serving as a co-president for Ocean View’s Business Academy, Jasmin said the astronomy course will fill not only a requirement for future college studies but for the business program as well.