When Saoirse Casey enrolled at Beaufort County Early College High School, she thought she knew her limits. She liked English, avoided math, and planned to earn an Associate in Arts before transferring to a university. Two years and a pivotal biology lab later, the Beaufort County Community College dual-enrolled student is on track to complete both an Associate in Arts and an Associate in Science, with her sights set on a bachelor’s degree in biology.
“I went into early college believing that I was absolutely terrible at math and science,” Casey said. “Taking my first biology class actually made me decide that I wanted to pursue a bachelor’s in biology. I don’t mind math when it has a reason. If I can understand why we’re doing it, I can appreciate it more.”
A Head Start Toward a Degree
Casey is among hundreds of Beaufort County Early College High School students who complete college credits through Beaufort County Community College, often graduating with one or two associate degrees at the same time they receive a high school diploma. For families, the model removes up to two years of university tuition and fees from the equation, while giving students the habits, confidence, and clarity to thrive at a four-year institution.
“Of course, it takes off a financial burden, having those first two years paid for,” she said. “But I’ve also learned the college life. No one is holding your hand, especially in online courses. You have to manage your time and get work done without someone telling you to. Those are skills other incoming freshmen won’t have.”
Discovering a Passion for Research
A unit in BIO 111 proved to be a turning point. Casey’s class explored stem cells and CRISPR gene editing, topics that opened her eyes to the pace and possibility of modern biology. “It was fascinating,” she said. “What do you mean it can cut tiny parts of DNA? It made me want to know more.” She credits her instructor for cultivating curiosity. “He is so passionate about biology and sharing what he loves. There was something for everybody.”
Now, Casey’s top transfer choice is UNC-Chapel Hill, with UNC Wilmington also on her list. She hopes to work in a research setting, drawn to fields like stem cell science. “It is a very developing field,” she said. “There is no dead end. You can keep researching, keep developing new methods, and there are so many applications, from treating diseases to learning more about the human body.”
Building Habits for Success
If the classroom sharpened Casey’s academic interests, early college experience sharpened her routines. She builds structure with a blend of tools, from a Notion assignment tracker to her phone’s Reminders app to Outlook Calendar. She prioritizes in-person learning when possible, especially for asking questions and building rapport. “Getting to know your teachers is very important,” she said. “You can understand why they grade the way they do and be a more compassionate student.”
Balancing Academics and Creativity
Casey balances her scientific ambitions with the arts and movement. She has modeled in the college’s community fashion show and carves out time to run. “Moving the body quiets the mind,” she said. “I started as a strategy to manage stress, but I absolutely love it.”
Leading by Example
As a Beaufort CCC ambassador, Casey has discovered that leadership can be quiet and effective. A recent campus tour with Danish exchange students showed her that poise and preparation matter as much as volume. “Even though I might not be the loudest person, people were listening to me,” she said.
Opening Doors for the Future
Her experience illustrates the value of Beaufort CCC’s dual-enrollment pathway. Students earn transferable credits without taking on debt, test academic interests before committing to a major, and step onto a university campus already fluent in college expectations. Families gain a clearer, more affordable route to a bachelor’s degree. Students gain time, options, and momentum.
“I feel like I have so much opportunity,” Casey said. “Clubs at the early college, clubs at the college level, and courses that helped me find what I want to study. Early college opened all of that.”
For Casey, the head start is not only measured in credit hours saved. It is measured in the moment a lab sparks a career idea, the confidence to email a professor and ask for a meeting, the calendar blocks that protect time for learning and for life. It is the knowledge that, by the time she steps into a university research lab, she will already have learned how to manage the work, ask better questions, and imagine what comes next.