For Hamilton High School junior Cora Williams, the future is already taking shape—one college class, classroom experience, and opportunity at a time.
Through the district’s Early College program, Cora is enrolled in education courses at Hope College, giving her a unique chance to experience both high school and college simultaneously.
“It’s been incredible. I love it so much,” Cora shared. “It feels like I’m in two different worlds at the same time.”
Cora has known for years that she wants to become a teacher. Growing up in a family of educators—including both parents and her grandmother—she was surrounded by the profession from an early age. That passion only grew stronger through job shadowing experiences and time spent in classrooms.
“I always wanted to be a teacher, probably since middle school,” she said. “Getting to job shadow and be around classrooms helped me realize this was exactly what I wanted to do.”
While balancing high school classes, college coursework, and extracurriculars like sports can be challenging at first, Cora says the transition becomes easier over time.
“In the beginning, the difference between high school and college is a lot bigger,” she explained. “But now it’s not as different, and it’s easy to get used to and balance everything.”
The Early College program allows students like Cora to gradually increase their college course load. Even after walking at high school graduation, students continue taking classes at Hope College, working toward earning up to two years of college credit.
For Cora, that opportunity comes with both academic and financial benefits.
“I’m very grateful,” she said. “I’m saving a lot of money while getting the college experience and knowing that this is where I want to be.”
In addition to coursework, Cora has taken advantage of job shadowing and work-based learning opportunities, helping her explore different grade levels and teaching environments.
“All of that has helped prepare me a lot,” she said. “It’s really helped me figure out what kind of teacher I want to be.”
She also credits the strong support system around her—including teachers, counselors, and fellow students in the program—for helping her succeed.
“Everyone has been really supportive,” Cora said. “We’ve all helped each other through it.”
For students considering a future in education, Cora has a clear message:
“If you want to be a teacher, this is a great program. The classes are great, and you get used to the workload. I would definitely recommend it.”
