By Bishop Kevin J. Farrell
Publisher of The Texas Catholic
Bishop Lynch High School graduates are entering colleges and universities as sophomores and juniors in their first year thanks to the school’s Dual Enrollment Program which offers college credit for certain high school courses.
In 2010 Victoria Erlinger registered as a junior at Texas A&M in her freshman year with 87 semesters hours. Chelsea Firra, BL’s 2013 salutatorian will enter Truman State University in the fall with 85 semester hours.
Lynch, the largest private high school in the State of Texas, hosts the largest Dual Enrollment Program in the state, offering more than 50 courses a year in English, math, history, science and the arts. In the 2012-2013 academic year 360 students (grades 9-12) participated.
To be eligible to participate, students must pass the Dallas County Community College entrance exam or be exempt by their SAT or ACT scores. Once enrolled, students must maintain a 3.0 average. The last three graduating classes have taken over 3000 credit hours with them to college…all at no extra charge for the student. All Lynch faculty members have met the academic requirements for adjunct professors at Eastfield College.
This is the kind of initiative by our Catholic schools that makes them stand out among educational institutions and assures parents that their children are receiving not only a Christian value centered education but outstanding academic formation.
Bishop Lynch will observe its 50th anniversary in September. I congratulate the administration and faculty of Bishop Lynch High School for achieving and maintaining the highest level of academic excellence for five decades.
Bishop Kevin J. Farrell is the seventh bishop of Dallas. Read his blog at bishopkevinfarrell.org/blog.