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Jackson County Student Utilizes Benefits of Taking Online Classes

Kirsten Reicherter, HCC Online student, knows the benefit of taking online classes at her own pace. She is the youngest in her family, but will be the first to earn a college degree.

“Early enrollment was incredibly beneficial to me,” said Reicherter. “The classes were more affordable at HCC than at a university. I have completed all my general education credits, so I'll have less to do when I go back for my bachelor's. Considering I'm planning a lengthy gap year, I will also have the benefit of a college degree for my jobs in the meantime.”

In fall 2021, Reicherter transitioned to online high school through Kansas Connections Academy. She said she was looking for challenging coursework when one of her teachers suggested taking college classes with Highland.

“I found it challenging to fit in my college courses, job(s) and high school classes into my schedule,” Reicherter reflected. “For the past two years, I have worked constantly, often holding two jobs at once. My junior year of high school and first year of college, I worked full-time at a retail store with a full college course load. I then went on to work at a roller-skating rink, seasonally a community pool and a trampoline park all while playing roller derby at my local rink. Now, I'm working at a summer camp with a crazy schedule. I still find it very challenging to balance my ever-changing work schedules with the deadlines of homework assignments, but I enjoy having a very flexible schedule. I love being able to work or explore during the day, then do my coursework at night.”

“I have so many very loosely planned out ideas for the next few years. I'm currently on a work/traveling gap year, even though I'm still in college for a few more weeks. I'm working at a camp in New York for the rest of the summer. I have plans to find another job, possibly in a national park. One of my long-term goals is to travel to every state in the U.S. and every continent in the world. Eventually, I will go back to earn a bachelor's degree, most likely in Engineering. I would love to work in engineering for a humanitarian effort.”

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