Three Astoria High School seniors are on track to earn Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer degrees from Clatsop Community College. Most high school seniors spend their final year focused on graduation, spring sports, and planning what comes next. Astoria High School seniors Quin Gohr, Ayla Gustafson, and Finnigan Dwyer have been doing all of that while also completing the final requirements for a college degree.
This spring, all three students are on track to graduate from Astoria High School with not only their high school diplomas but also Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer (AAOT) degrees from Clatsop Community College (CCC). Their achievement marks a rare milestone of completing a full college degree while still in high school.
It is an accomplishment that required more than academic ability. It took long-term planning, summer classes, schedule coordination, and the discipline to move between high school coursework, college assignments, and personal commitments. Their journeys were made possible through a combination of Dual Credit and Simultaneous Enrollment opportunities offered through partnerships between Astoria High School and CCC.
Through Dual Credit, high school students enroll in eligible courses taught by their high school teachers and earn both high school and college credit at no cost. This winter alone, 428 Clatsop County students from seven high schools participated in Dual Credit across 26 classes, including U.S. History, Statistics, Calculus, Composition, Spanish, Personal Finance, and General Biology.
Simultaneous Enrollment allows students to enroll directly in CCC courses taught by college faculty, either online or in person, experiencing college-level expectations while still in high school. Students in both programs also gain access to college resources such as tutoring, library services, and campus facilities. Typically, students will take one class per term if interested in getting a headstart on college classes.
For Gohr, the path started by taking advantage of every college-credit opportunity available. A lifelong Astoria student, he said he did not originally plan to complete the full AAOT, but after starting college coursework his sophomore year, the goal became clear.
“I was just taking as many college credits as the high school had to offer,” Gohr said. “Then later on I started taking it more seriously.”
To stay on track, he took five college classes in one summer while balancing football, basketball, and track making him a three-sport athlete alongside his academic workload. “It’s challenging but so rewarding,” he said. “Plus, I want to save as much money as I can.”
Gustafson settled in Astoria during her sophomore year after living in Montana, Texas, and Washington. Already planning to pursue college credits in high school, she adapted quickly and built a schedule combining Dual Credit, Simultaneous Enrollment, and summer courses.
She balanced two to three college classes per term while participating in basketball, track, and flag football. Strong communication with teachers and careful time management helped her navigate overlapping schedules and missed class time. “As long as you stay connected with the teachers, it’s not too challenging to make the schedules work,” she said.
For Dwyer, the journey was more compact. Raised in Astoria, Dwyer set out to challenge himself academically by taking the most rigorous courses available. When he realized he could complete an AAOT and significantly reduce future college costs, he committed fully to the goal. Unlike his peers, Dwyer compressed much of his college coursework into his senior year, building a demanding schedule that spans both campuses. On some days, his schedule begins at 8 a.m. at the high school and doesn’t end until after 7 p.m.
“I had to do a lot of coordination between both the people at CCC and at the high school,” Dwyer said, describing the process of aligning schedules, tracking credits, and ensuring he met graduation requirements. Managing that workload required constant organization of tracking assignments across multiple platforms, advocating for schedule flexibility, and even calculating his own degree progress to ensure he stayed on track.
“The biggest challenges don’t come from any single course,” he said. “It’s when everything is due at the same time.” Despite the intensity, Dwyer said the experience has been rewarding and has helped prepare him for his future goals. He plans to pursue a degree and career in data science, with an interest in ethics and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.
All three students emphasized that earning college credits in high school requires initiative, communication, and support. They agree that the level of work that it takes may not be for everyone, but it is possible.
Their experiences also highlight the impact of accessible college pathways in Clatsop County. Through Dual Credit and Simultaneous Enrollment, Clatsop Community College and local high schools are helping students accelerate their education, reduce costs, and gain confidence in a college environment.
Each student also hopes to inspire others to consider taking that first step. Gohr encourages students not to let busy schedules stand in the way of taking college level classes. Dwyer offers simple advice: “Talk to people. Your best resources are those around you,” he said. And Gustafson is going as far as developing a guide to help future students navigate the process. “I’m creating a document that shows how to navigate this process to earn your associates while in high school so others don’t have to figure it out along the way,” she said.
This spring, all three students are finishing their final coursework and preparing for two graduations, one from high school and one from Clatsop Community College.
Gohr will head to Oregon State University this fall to study engineering. Gustafson will attend Montana State University to study nutrition and sports medicine. Dwyer will attend Willamette University to study data science.
Before they have even finished high school, Quin Gohr, Ayla Gustafson, and Finnigan Dwyer have already demonstrated what is possible when ambition meets opportunity, and through programs like Dual Credit and Simultaneous Enrollment, more students across Clatsop County are beginning to realize they can do the same.
