Hamilton High School students don’t necessarily have to leave campus to begin building a college transcript.

In fact, over the past two years, 152 Hamilton High School students have taken advantage of an opportunity to earn direct college credit through Muskegon Community College (MCC) while completing coursework right at HHS.

The opportunity is available through Hamilton High School’s year-long Business Development course, taught by Dan Meiste. As an adjunct professor of business through MCC, Meiste is able to teach college-level coursework and award students direct MCC credit as part of their regular high school schedule.

“What sets Business Development apart from other college opportunities is that as an Adjunct Professor of Business through MCC, I am able to grant college credit for two courses at no cost to your student,” Meiste said.

Students can earn four college credits through two courses at Hamilton High School:

• BUS 121 – Introduction to Business: 3 credit hours

• BUS 131 – Introduction to Entrepreneurship: 1 credit hour

There is no additional cost to families and no exit exam required to earn the credit. Students who successfully complete the required coursework have the opportunity to leave Hamilton with four MCC credits already earned.

Those credits can provide students with a valuable head start after graduation. Depending on the college or university a student ultimately attends and its transfer policies, the courses may replace required business courses or fulfill elective requirements toward a future degree.

For families, it's also important to understand how direct college credit differs from some of the other college-level opportunities available at Hamilton.

Unlike traditional Dual Enrollment, students don't need to leave Hamilton High School or fit an outside college course into their schedule. The college-level instruction is built directly into Meiste's Business Development class.

The numbers show Hamilton students are taking advantage. With 152 students participating over the past three school years, hundreds of college credit hours have been made available to Hawkeyes before they even receive their high school diplomas.

The college credit is just one component of Business Development. As a Career and Technical Education (CTE) course, students are exposed to multiple business career pathways while learning about entrepreneurship and other real-world business concepts. Students can also earn an Entrepreneurship Certification, along with opportunities for additional articulated college credit.

Meiste encourages students to take advantage of as many opportunities as possible during their time at Hamilton.

“It does not compete with the Tech Center, Co-op, or Dual Enrollment,” Meiste said. “Students are encouraged to take advantage of all these opportunities.”

That's part of the larger goal of Career and College Readiness at Hamilton High School.

Students can pursue college-level experiences through Advanced Placement, Dual Enrollment, Early College, CTE programs and direct college credit, while other students may choose work-based learning, industry certifications or career-focused programs. The goal isn't to create one path every student must follow, but to provide multiple pathways that allow students to begin exploring what comes next while they're still in high school.

For the 152 students who have already taken advantage of direct college credit through Business Development, that has meant getting a jump-start on college without ever leaving Hamilton High School.

Learn more about college credit opportunities on our Career & College Readiness website.