More Teens Get a Head Start on College Life as Dual Enrollment Program Expands
September 4, 2025
Newark high schooler Jedidah Wilson spent her summer earning college credits while learning how to code and analyze the workings of AI. She admits it wasn’t always fun.
“I’m not going to lie, it was hard work,’’ said Wilson, a junior at Bard High School Early College in Newark, who completed the new Create Academy offered through Rutgers-Newark’s Center for PreCollege Programs.
But Wilson, who is often apprehensive about new experiences, overcame her anxiety, got the work done, and emerged with a newfound sense of confidence. It helped her decide that college, which once seemed so unfamiliar, is where she wants to be after graduation.
“Being on an actual college campus has opened my eyes. I had never seen anything like it before. Really seeing how college students act and do their work and stay focused, it taught me a lot. Just by doing that, it will help me get ready,’’ said Wilson, who is 17 and considering a medical career, possibly as an ultrasound technician.