Copperas Cove ISD celebrates record 58 dual-credit graduates

Fifty-eight Copperas Cove High School students finished Central Texas College’s spring commencement with one or more associate degrees or an industry certification, a record haul that saved their families a combined $435,000 on college costs. For Coryell County parents, the payoff was immediate: less tuition to cover, less time to spend in college, and a faster route into either a university or a paycheck.

Copperas Cove ISD said the 58 graduates pushed the district’s 2025-26 total to 65 CCHS students earning associate degrees, industry certifications or both through CTC. Another 67 students have done the same over the previous two years. A year earlier, 34 CCHS students graduated from CTC, then the largest class in the district’s dual-credit history. This spring’s group nearly doubled that mark, showing the program is expanding rather than leveling off.

Superintendent Dr. Brent Hawkins called the dual-credit program a difference maker and said the students had taken a major step toward their futures while still in high school. The district partners with Central Texas College so eligible students can earn high school and college credit at the same time, and CCISD pays for the program with students responsible only for books and related expenses. That makes the pipeline unusually affordable in a county where higher education can otherwise mean years of debt before a first job even starts.

The mix of credentials points in two directions at once. Central Texas College’s Copperas Cove roster included Associate of Science, Associate of Arts and Associate of Applied Science earners, along with certifications that are meant to move students into technical work. Elias Alvarado earned a robotics certification, a credential that can translate directly into higher pay and a stronger starting position. CTC said the spring ceremony also recognized students preparing for careers in healthcare, business, information technology, criminal justice and skilled trades, along with military-connected pathways.

Individual students showed how wide the payoff can be. Courtney Addy earned associate degrees in general studies and interdisciplinary studies and plans to study chemical engineering at Texas A&M University. Hillary Adjei earned the same two degrees and expects to spend less time in college. Amber Valentine, who started dual credit as a freshman, earned two associate degrees, kept a GPA above 3.0 and plans to attend Howard University. Presley Lowery earned more than 50 college credit hours while balancing band, cheerleading and student government, and plans to attend Texas State University in San Marcos. Together, the class shows Copperas Cove ISD building a cheaper post-high school pathway that can lead straight into college, technical work or both.