COPPERAS COVE – Copperas Cove ISD’s dual credit & early college program has officially seen its largest class of graduates, yet.
At Central Texas College’s recent Spring 2026 commencement ceremony, 58 graduates were students from Copperas Cove High School earning one or more associate degrees, or an industry certification to help set them up for an exciting career after high school.
“Our dual credit program is such a difference maker for our students,” said Superintendent Dr. Brent Hawkins. “These students have taken an enormous step in their future by finishing their associate degrees as high school students. I could not be prouder of them for showing what it means to be a Bulldawg, and I can’t wait to see everything these outstanding students are able to accomplish in their lives thanks to the head start they’ve earned here.”
Through the CCISD Dual Credit program, these 58 graduates have saved, as a group, $435,000 on their college education. The latest group of graduates marks 65 students from CCHS who, this year, earned associate degrees, industry certifications, or both from Central Texas College through the program. That’s in addition to 67 in the previous two years.
Courtney Addy graduated from CTC with associate degrees in general studies and interdisciplinary studies.
“I feel very accomplished,” Addy said. “It’s like I killed two birds with one stone by getting both my high school diploma and associate degree. In college, I will have more time to study classes that are related to my major because a lot of my core classes are out of the way.”
Addy will graduate from Copperas Cove High School next week, after which she will attend Texas A&M University to pursue a degree in chemical engineering.
Hillary Adjei earned associate degrees in general studies and interdisciplinary studies.
“This is very rewarding,” Adjei said. “This will allow me to spend less time in college after high school. My goal was to get my associate degree and I accomplished that.”
Elias Alvarado graduated Friday with a robotics certification.
“My goal was to get the certification and get classes done for an associate degree,” Alvarado said. “This will help me get a job, a higher initial position and, possibly, better pay. I feel that I have achieved my goal.”
Riya Amin walked the stage Friday with associate degrees in general and interdisciplinary studies.
“This is very rewarding,” Amin said. “It will put me ahead and allow me to get through college faster.”
Trinity Aulabaugh earned a pair of associate degrees in general studies and interdisciplinary studies.
“This is one of the most rewarding things I have done,” Aulabaugh said. “All of this hard work has paid off in a way I never imagined would happen this early in life. This has reduced the number of in-person college classes I will take for my education after high school, cut my tuition costs and advance me to junior status when I enter Tarleton State in the fall.”
Jhada Bailey earned her associate degree in general studies.
“It is very rewarding, because this is not something I ever thought I would accomplish. It feels surreal,” Bailey said. “This will give me a head start for college, not only subject-wise but also work-wise. I have learned how to cope on a college campus, and I have adapted to the difficulty of the courses compared to my high school classes.”
Robert Baker earned his robotics certification from CTC on Friday.
“This is very rewarding and will help me get jobs in this industry,” Baker said.
After graduating from Cove in May, Baker plans to attend Tarleton State University.
Ashari Benjamin finished associate degrees in general and interdisciplinary studies.
“This is something I never thought I’d be able to manage in high school,” Benjamin said. “My goal was just to earn some college credits to not have to spend more money than I need to on college. This achievement will allow me to better work on getting my bachelor’s degree for teaching in the future.”
Benjamin graduates from CCHS next week and plans to pursue a career as an elementary teacher.
Krish Bhakta earned a pair of associate degrees in general studies and interdisciplinary studies.
“This achievement is very rewarding,” Bhakta said. “This will allow me to pursue two bachelor’s degrees in a four-year span. It also allows me to explore more of my interests in college while not being overwhelmed.”
Bhakta plans to attend the University of Texas at Austin to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering, as well as a bachelor’s degree through the UT Plan II Honors program.
Madison Bogard graduated from CTC Friday with an associate degree in general studies.
“This is extremely rewarding, as it’s giving me an extra boost for college,” Bogard said. “This will allow me to attend college and, essentially, skip the first two years to go straight into earning my bachelor’s degree.”
After graduating from CCHS this month, Bogard plans to study health science in college.
Kylie Boldman walked the stage with a pair of associate degrees in general studies and interdisciplinary studies.
“Graduating with an associate degree will help me after high school by reducing the time I need to spend in college,” Boldman said. “My goal was to take a few dual-credit classes to get college work out of the way and save money. I achieved this goal, as I took more classes than expected and saved thousands of dollars.”
Breanna Buckram finished her associate degree in general studies.
“This achievement is very rewarding, it shows the hard work and dedication I put in during the school year in order to attain my goals,” Buckram said. “This will allow me to spend less time in school and focus on my real estate career.”
After graduating from CCHS this month, Buckram plans to get her real estate license and become a realtor.
Malachi Burvato graduated with an associate degree in general studies.
Abryanna Caldwell earned an associate degree in general studies.
Ryan Cartwright graduated with two associate degrees, one in general studies and another in interdisciplinary studies.
“This achievement is very rewarding,” Cartwright said. “My initial goal was to earn my associate degree and I feel that I achieved that. Now, I can join the military at a higher rank.”
Cartwright plans to enlist in the U.S. Air Force after graduating from CCHS next week.
Renyce Chavez earned a pair of associate degrees in general studies and interdisciplinary studies.
“I feel as though the time went by so fast since I first started taking dual-credit classes,” Chavez said. “Having my associate degree after high school will help me to not have to take core classes and allow me to have a year of school already done. This will be a big step for me and allow me to start nursing school sooner.”
Chavez plans to attend college to pursue a nursing degree after CCHS graduation next week, with the goal of becoming a registered nurse.
Coleton Cooper earned associate degrees in general studies and interdisciplinary studies.
“This achievement is extremely rewarding,” Cooper said. “This will allow me to earn a bachelor’s degree in half the time, saving both time and money pursing higher education.”
After graduating from high school next week, Cooper plans to attend Texas State University to pursue a degree in criminal justice.
Makayla Davis completed associate degrees in general studies and interdisciplinary studies.
Miracle Dorsey finished associate degrees in general studies and interdisciplinary studies.
Alyssa Eade graduated with associate degrees in general studies and interdisciplinary studies.
“This is pretty rewarding, since it will allow me to kickstart my college career,” Eade said. “It will help me be able to skip basic education classes, since I already have the credit for it. I feel accomplished and proud for following through with the coursework.”
After graduating from Copperas Cove HS next week, Eade plans to attend the University of Texas at Austin to pursue a career in speech language pathology.
Zoey Eyler walked the stage Friday with associate degrees in general studies and interdisciplinary studies.
“This will set me ahead in college and allow me to focus on my major, entirely,” Eyler said. “When I first started taking dual-credit courses, my goal was to save money and time in college by knocking out these basics. I feel like I’ve achieved this.”
Hillary Adjei earned associate degrees in general studies and interdisciplinary studies.
Lydia Wagner graduated from CTC with two associate degrees, one in general studies and another in interdisciplinary studies.
“This is incredibly rewarding, I’m so glad I was able to achieve this,” Wagner said. “It will let me focus more on the classes that lead to my degree in college.”
After high school graduation, Wagner plans to attend the University of North Texas to study business.
Tahir Wingo earned an associate degree in general studies.
“This achievement is highly rewarding and saves me lots of time when I eventually go to a four-year college,” Wingo said. “It will help me save money and time for myself for when I go to a four-year college.”
Wingo graduates from CCHS next week and plans to attend Texas Tech University to pursue an environmental engineering degree.
Jacquel X graduated with associate degrees in general studies and interdisciplinary studies.
“This is super rewarding,” X said. “It will shorten my bachelor’s degree journey. If someone is considering dual-credit classes, I would tell them to take their grades seriously and get ahead as much as they can.”
After graduating from high school, X plans to attend Texas A&M University and study early childhood education.