From Dual Credit Student to Collin College Graduate: The Pathway to Success

Collin College graduate Aaron Sims was once a junior at McKinney North High School with no desire to attend college. One day, that all changed after he noticed a sign-up sheet for dual credit courses at the Collin College Technical Campus.

“I was looking through the courses they had, and I saw they had dual credit welding,” Aaron said. “Looking at the course, I had seen a few YouTube videos on it, and I was like, ‘this looks kind of interesting.’ I signed up for it, and I just stuck with it because I thought it was a great campus and they had a good welding program.” 

Aaron comes from a family of generational tradesmen. His brother is a mechanic, and his father and grandfather are general contractors. 

“Many of my family members have worked in a trade, but none have done welding. I’m very happy that I pursued it,” Aaron said.
         
Despite his excitement as a dual credit welding student, Aaron  had to adjust to the schedule that came with attending high school and college. However, he’d soon realize this challenge would set him up for his future success. 
         
“It was a demanding schedule in high school, but it prepared me for the schedule I have now,” Aaron said. “I was going to school from 7 a.m. to noon, and then I had the dual credit class from noon to 4 p.m. At the time it was demanding but it got me prepared, and now I really enjoy it.” 
         
Aaron credits everything he has learned, even the preparation of his résumé, to the Collin College Dual Credit program. 
         
“In March, a representative from Dynacraft contacted me and said, ‘Hey, I saw your résumé. Could you come in for a welding test and an interview?’ I went in for the welding test and the interview, and if I hadn’t gone to Collin, I wouldn’t have passed the test at all.” 
         
Welding Technology Professor Darrel Rochelle was very impressed with Aaron’s dedication and diligence as both a dual credit and traditional college student.

“What impressed me about Aaron was that he showed up on time daily and met the requirements by staying on task,” Darrel said.

“Aaron completed his first year in the program as dual credit, then took it upon himself to enroll as a traditional student. He maintained good academic standing and checked all the boxes to make himself very marketable to the industry. I often reference him in my classes as a great example of what is possible in our program if you show up, have a good attitude, and put in the work.”
         
Aaron accepted a position at Dynacraft, a global supplier of assemblies and services for trucks while still attending college. He graduated in Spring 2023 with an Associate of Applied Science in Welding Technology. His advice to dual credit students is to be purposeful about their education and their future. 
         
“In the dual credit program, I saw many students who did not take it seriously, but the ones who were dedicated and really wanted to learn, the professors saw that and were willing to help,” Aaron said.

“I saw an end goal, and there was no point in stopping until I reached that goal.” 
         
The Collin College Dual Credit program gives students an opportunity to earn high school and college credit simultaneously for successfully completing the college course. Once completed, students can choose to continue their studies at Collin. 
         
The college partners with 16 independent school districts and 11 private, charter, and homeschool co-ops. These partnerships provide students like Aaron an opportunity to establish a successful career pathway. To learn more about the dual credit program, visit www.collin.edu/express/dualcredit/.

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