A group of Morris County high school students just walked across a college graduation stage before ever receiving their high school diplomas.
The Denville based Morris County Vocational School District is celebrating a first for its Academy for Business Administration, an early college program run in partnership with Randolph High School and the County College of Morris. This spring, the program’s first cohort received associate degrees in business administration from CCM, completing 60 college credits while still finishing high school.
Launched in 2022, the academy puts motivated students on a college track starting in ninth grade. Students take fast paced, college level business coursework throughout high school while preparing for industry certifications in Microsoft and QuickBooks. By senior year, they are full time students on the CCM campus in Randolph.
“This milestone represents an exciting evolution of traditional Career and Technical Education,” said Scott Shaw, the district’s Director of Career and Technical Education. “While we remain deeply committed to our essential trade programs, pathways like this show that CTE is for everyone, offering diverse routes to career readiness. Earning an associate degree in high school requires immense dedication, and our students worked incredibly hard.”
Shaw also credited the partners who helped build the program, including the Randolph High School team, CCM deans and chairs, families, and teachers Kris Piirimae and Alyssa Sedlak.
“This achievement reflects what is possible when students are challenged, supported, and given access to innovative opportunities,” added MCVSD Superintendent Dr. Anita Champagne. “We are incredibly proud of this pioneering group and the path they have created for future students.”
Graduates from the pioneering class will continue their education at schools including Rutgers, Drexel University, TCNJ, Bucknell University, NJIT, the University of Miami, Indiana University, Penn State, and Michigan State University.
More information on the academy and how to apply is available through the Morris County Vocational School District.
