Imani Hall-Kneemiller has always been a fast learner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When she was a middle school student, her mother worked early in the morning, so Hall-Kneemiller taught herself to fix her own hair. As a student at Milwaukee Public Schools\u2019 North Division High School, she offered her styling services to friends and classmates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And when it came to college, Hall-Kneemiller couldn\u2019t wait to start. She spent nearly all of her senior year of high school taking classes at Milwaukee Area Technical College through M\u00b3 College Connections, a dual enrollment program offered by M\u00b3 (pronounced M-Cubed), a partnership between Milwaukee Public Schools, MATC and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis program really helped me prepare for college,\u201d Hall-Kneemiller said. \u201cI\u2019m ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Wednesday, June 5, at MATC\u2019s Downtown Milwaukee Campus, Hall-Kneemiller was one of 90 MPS students recognized for completing the M\u00b3 College Connections program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In M\u00b3 College Connections, eligible students complete their high school graduation requirements while earning up to 21 college credits from MATC and UWM at no expense to the student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Students take college-level courses in English and mathematics at MATC, and educational psychology and ethnic studies courses at UWM. Students also can take nursing or science courses at MATC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By earning college credit while in high school, students save time and money, and get a head start on their college journeys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the average cost of a college credit at $300, the 90 students saved more than $500,000 in tuition, according to Dr. John Hill, MPS director of college and career readiness. Since M3<\/sup> College Connections began in 2019, 697 students have participated, saving more than $2.4 million in college tuition costs, Dr. Hill said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis has turned into such a robust program,\u201d MATC President Vicki J. Martin said at the ceremony. \u201cWe had 32 students in the first year and this year we had 300 applications.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aside from saving students time and money, M3<\/sup> College Connections helps create a diverse talent pool of professionals ready for the workforce, said Phyllis King, associate vice chancellor at UWM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis program was one of the most transformative and rewarding experiences I have had,\u201d said Adonijah Bolden-Murrell, who graduated from MPS\u2019 Milwaukee School of Languages and will attend North Carolina Central University in the fall. \u201cThe program gave me a glimpse of college and helped build confidence in myself. I\u2019m ready for college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Montserrat Rojas Gamboa, a graduate of MPS\u2019 Bradley Tech High School, said the program taught her how to learn from failure. \u201cWhen you fall, you need to rise up and try again,\u201d said Gamboa, who received a full scholarship to study nursing at UWM. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This fall, Hall-Kneemiller will enroll in MATC\u2019s Cosmetology program and then plans to study elementary education at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWith the credits I have earned, and the familiarity I have with the field, getting the cosmetology degree will give me some experience under my belt and a way to earn money for college,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Kevin Newell, founder and CEO of Royal Capital Group, a Milwaukee development company, served as one of the keynote speakers at the ceremony. He urged the graduates to continue their studies and add value to their hometown. \u201cWe need problem solvers like you,\u201d Newell said. \u201cI look forward to seeing what you can do in the real world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The other keynote speaker, Capt. Sheronda D. Grant of the Milwaukee Police Department, reminded the graduates that there are no limits to what they can accomplish for themselves and their community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo one can ever tell you what you can\u2019t do,\u201d Grant said. \u201cI hope all of you stay in Milwaukee and help make our city a better place.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"