Diana Majerik named Wallace State’s new Director of Dual Enrollment, Fast Track and Off Campus programs

HANCEVILLE – Diana Majerik is Wallace State’s new Director of Dual Enrollment, Fast Track and Off Campus programs.
Majerik inherited her new position in late October and replaces Dr. Dale Palmer, who served multiple years in the capacity after a long tenure with the Wallace State Biology Department.  She transferred to her new role from the English Department, where she has served since 2009.
“It’s exciting to be in this position, where I have the opportunity to help high school students in a positive way. I hope I can point them in the right direction and show them all the wonderful opportunities available to them if they choose to participate in dual enrollment and/or Fast Track.  It’s all about getting that first foot in the door,” said Majerik, who holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama and MBA from UNA.
Wallace State’s vibrant dual enrollment programs include the Fast Track option, serving eligible high school students in Blount, Cullman, Morgan, and Winston Counties. At the end of the 2013 spring semester, Wallace State’s dual enrollment programs consisted of nearly 400 students.
Dual enrollment classes allow academic and technically motivated high school students to enroll in college classes concurrently with high school classes, thereby receiving both high school and college credit.
Wallace State’s Fast Track program is a joint partnership between Wallace State and local school systems. It offers high school junior and seniors an opportunity to simultaneously enroll in secondary and postsecondary coursework on the campus of Wallace State. The courses meet state requirements for high school graduation while also providing the general education requirements for the certificate and associate degree programs. Students enrolled in the Fast Track Academy are also allowed to still participate in their high school’s extracurricular activities, including athletics, band and student organizations.
It has also proven to be an attractive alternative for homeschooled students.
In her new role, Majerik feels it’s especially important to reach out to freshmen as soon as they approach high school because data shows that those students who plan early and earn college credit have less debt, graduate more quickly, and have higher GPAs than those students that do not participate.
“I’ve been presenting to 9^th-grade career prep classes because that’s when students really need to start making plans for their future and plan accordingly. Dual enrollment and Fast Track have so many benefits.  It eases the transition to college and yet provides a challenge students often need.  Especially with the myriad of course offerings we have now at WSCC, it allows students more time to take different courses to figure out what interests them.”
Among many goals she has mapped out, Majerik wants to see more local high schools get involved in dual enrollment opportunities for its students and is interested in setting up dual enrollment centers in each service county.
For more information about dual enrollment or Fast Track, contact Diana Majerik at diana.majerik@wallacestate.edu or at 256.352.8050.
For more information about Wallace State, visit wallacestate.edu.

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Russell Moore
Staff Writer
Wallace State Community College
P.O. Box 2000, Hanceville, AL 35077
1-866-350-9722    256-352-8443 direct
256-339-2422 cell
Visit us online at www.wallacestate.edu
 
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Kristen Holmes
Director, Communications & Marketing
Wallace State Community College
P.O. Box 2000, Hanceville, AL 35077
1-866-350-9722   256-352-8118 direct
256-352-8314 fax   256-339-2519 cell
Visit us online at www.wallacestate.edu