22 ACPS graduating seniors earn A.A. degrees from Santa Fe College

Students in Santa Fe College's High School Dual Enrollment program who recently received their diplomas and certifications at a ceremony.

Courtesy of ACPS

Key Points

As commencements near for several high school seniors in Alachua County, 22 Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) students will earn their high school diplomas, having already graduated with an Associate of Arts degree from Santa Fe College (SF).

Four additional graduating seniors have already received their certification from SF College as Emergency Medical Technicians, according to an ACPS press release.

The 26 ACPS students earned their A.A. degree or EMT certification by taking part in SF College’s High School Dual Enrollment (HSDE) program. Thanks to a nearly 30-year partnership between the college and ACPS, local students can earn college credits – and even complete associate degrees and career certifications – while working toward their high school diplomas. This is at no cost to the qualified student and his or her family.

The release states that ACPS was one of the first school districts in Florida to offer the dual enrollment option to its high school students.

“Our community’s students are top-notch, and the amount of money families save through our partnership is extraordinary,” said Dr. Jen Homard, SF College’s executive director of secondary programs, in the release.

Homard said the 26 ACPS seniors graduating with A.A. degrees or certifications earned about 1,500 college credits and collectively saved more than $130,000 in tuition and textbook costs. Altogether, ACPS seniors participating in the HSDE program at SF College earned more than 11,500 college credits and saved approximately $1.2 million in college costs during the 2025-26 school year.

The release said 82 ACPS students were also dual-enrolled at the University of Florida this school year, earning close to 300 credits from the institution.

The ACPS-SF College dual-enrolled students who earned their A.A. degrees this year are: Julia Allen, Kelsey Bush, Alberto Castillo, Riley Davis, Lia Floarea Dobra, Michael Hammond, Alexander Harris, Lillian Ho, Priya Thakor, Casey Bauer, Alayna Forrest, Jaite Howell, Kylee Kaster, Mary Loosli, Isabella Luria, Jade McKillop, Nova Prter, Sophie Suslov, Gita Syer, Ashton Washington, Palin Yang and Kinsey Young.

The four students who earn EMT certifications are Gabriel Mathson, Zachary Nanke, Emanuel Cruz-Flecha and Ella Giuliano.