‘Just find your path and keep going’
Mar 24, 2025Kaylie Ratcliffe began taking RCC classes as a high school sophomore
As a student at Rockingham County High School, Kaylie Ratcliffe scored high enough on her PSAT to start taking college-level courses as a sophomore through Rockingham Community College’s Career & College Promise program. Now a senior, she’s on track to earn her high school diploma and her Associate in Arts degree in May.
Ratcliffe was in the first group of 10th graders able to dually enroll at Rockingham Community College. Her sister Kennedi, who graduated from RCC in 2022, was one of the first two students to dually enroll when college courses were opened up to high school juniors and seniors.
“She couldn’t start until her junior year. I started as a sophomore, so I got a head start,” Ratcliffe, of Reidsville.
Kaylie Ratcliffe began taking classes at Rockingham Community College as a high school sophomore through the Career & College Promise program. She is earning a tuition-free Associate Degree.
Ratcliffe’s first choice after graduation is an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, where she would study marine engineering. If that doesn’t work out, one school she’s considering is the University of South Carolina, where she would double major in international affairs and political science and minor in a math or science field. She would also like to join ROTC is she ends up a traditional university.
With her sister currently a senior at Appalachian State University double majoring in economics and political science with a concentration on international and comparative politics and a minor in German, Ratcliffe isn’t sure how they both ended up pursuing such strenuous fields. Both of their parents are in healthcare, so she attributes her love of science to them.
“I like the public affairs side of international relations, and Kennedi wants to be more behind the scenes,” Ratcliffe said.
Most of her RCC classes have been online, and she has come to campus for a handful. She was surprised that one of her favorite classes was American Literature, online, because she enjoyed reading the books and learning about them.
“The teacher makes a big difference” in how good a class is, she said.
Ratcliffe’s favorite in-person courses have been taught by Communication Faculty Daniel Bayer, whose class is fun, she said, and Mathematics Professor Deanna Saffold, who has written recommendations for her college applications.
Even with high school and college classes and extracurricular activities, Ratcliffe has maintained a solid 4.0 GPA.
“If I’m doing nothing, I do something,” she said. “When I’m riding the bus, I’ll fill out Google docs. If I go on a trip, when I’m in the car, I connect to my hotspot and do some work. I just find time to do stuff and get it done. I’m organized, and pay attention to due dates.”
Ratcliffe said many high school students may think dual enrollment is hard because of the workload.
“You just have to balance it right, and you can still get it done. I had to decide if I wanted to take electives at the high school, or classes at RCC. It seems hard, but it’s so worth it,” she said. “The counselors at the high school don’t always know the right classes, so come to RCC and speak to the counselors and do your research online.”
Ratcliffe said more people in Rockingham County need to understand that a teenager doesn’t have to be enrolled in Rockingham County Early College High School to take college-level courses.
“You can stay at your high school and do it, and not miss that high school experience,” she said. In fact, she knows some of the students in her RCC classes, who attend the Early College High School. And she doesn’t see any issues with age gaps with other students.
“Everybody gets along,” she said.
As for taking college classes at such a young age, Ratcliffe said there are some skills she had to learn. For instance, English papers in college are much longer than the two-pagers required in high school. Expectations are higher at the college level when it comes to turning in assignments, although some instructors are lenient.
“A lot of professors are willing to work with you,” she said.
Ratcliffe recommends RCC’s Career & College Promise program.
“Just find your path and keep going,” she said.
For information on RCC’s Career & College Promise program visit https://rockinghamcc.edu/admissions-aid/career-college-promise/ or call 336-342-4261 ext. 2130.
~By Gerri Hunt
RCC Director of Public Information
