Travis Longworth, a Galway High junior who is not your typical junior. Travis is currently participating in a program that enables him to take college classes at HVCC (Hudson Valley Community College), while he is still in high school. This program is known as the TEC-SMART program and consists of two years of study. There are only two slots open for Galway students each year and you must apply for them.  High school juniors who participate in this program earn four high school credits and have the potential to earn eleven HVCC credits. High school seniors who are enrolled in this program earn four high school credits and can potentially acquire 13 HVCC credits.

Question #1:  So how did you become involved with this program?

Travis: Mrs. Donnan (GHS technology teacher) introduced it to me. At first I was unsure about it, but it seemed like a good thing to become a part of because it will help me in the long run.

Question #2: How does your experience with this opportunity compare so far to how you initially thought it would be?

Travis: I didn’t know what to expect, but I found that time management skills are a must. You cannot procrastinate or else it will come back to bite you.

Question #3: Where do you study your classes at?

Travis: I study mostly at the off campus in Malta Tech Park, but I occasionally go to another campus in Troy.

Question #4: How is an average day for you?

Travis:  I wake up a 6am and the bus arrives at my house at 6:40. I arrive at the off campus at 7:30 and classes begin at 8. Monday and Tuesday I have Auto CAD (Computer-Aided Design), which is a 3-hour class.  Wednesday and Thursday I take high school classes and on Friday I have a 1.5 hour wind class. Any extra time I have at the college I use to work on projects. Each day I return to the school at about 11:40 and I have gym, a study hall, health and US history.

Question #5: What class would you say is the most difficult?

Travis: In my wind class we mostly just take notes and we have only one test a month and that is it. It is not very easy to do the high school projects because I have to work with other students from all over Saratoga County.

Question #6: What is a highlight of your day?

Travis: There is a food truck at the campus that makes good bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches and Danishes.

Question #7: How is it being around college students?

Travis: The students come from different schools and it is basically like being in high school. The teachers are laid back too.

Question #8: What are your plans for when you have finished school?

Travis: I don’t really know and I did this program for the college credits and it also looks good on college résumés.

Have any questions or want to learn more about this program? Visit Mrs. Donnan in her tech room or head to the Galway High School Website and click on TEC-SMART Program link on the left of the page.