Running Start Stories

story by Gunner Stuns and Kindell Frampton, design by Zoey Ryan

They walk among us every day. Perhaps you’ve noticed them, making their way from class to class, looking just ever-so-slightly younger in some cases, but indistinguishable in most. That’s right– Running Start Students. This program allows high school juniors and seniors a chance to experience learning at the college level and sees them attending the same classes and crossing the same campus as other college students.

According to Angelia Riveira, associate director of the Running Start program at CWU, what’s special about the program is that “It can be very valuable in giving students who may not otherwise see themselves as college going students an opportunity to explore college opportunities in a safe environment.” She adds that Running Start students are held to the same standards as other college students and attend the same classes, but they don’t live on campus and have the safety net of their families to fall back on. However, it can still be a challenge for some to make the transition from high school to college. Luckily, Riveira a is here to help. “We do individual advising every single quarter with our Running Start students,” Riveira says. “All of the students who are here in Ellensburg meet with me each quarter, and all I do is work with Running Start students.” Other transitional elements include orientations, in which faculty give these new college students advice and walk them through the transition to college level coursework. 

Do you know any Running Start students yourself? PULSE interviewed a few of them to speak on their experiences with the program.

Marcus Hunter 

Marcus Hunter is a high school senior and prospective astronomy major. In his second year with the Running Start program, Hunter recounts his journey moving from Ellensburg high school to CWU. 

Out of all your options in HS, what made you pick Running Start?

I got my license in junior year and I realized [there] is so much more freedom. And I really like the idea of, when you're at college, it feels more independent. The assignments are just like an hour of lecture time, but it's not the six hours of high school that you're kind of just there. I'll schedule a class at 12, I'll go do the homework on my own, and then I'll have another class of three, but it's very self-driven, and that is, personally, how I prefer to work.

 What are the biggest differences between being a High School student and a Running Start Student?

The freedom. They say three hours of studying a week for every class you have. I think these entry level classes that you're taking as a Running Start student, I really didn't need the three hours. I would go to class, I'd work, I'd go to the gym... I still had time in my day. Whereas... the six and a half hours of high school would lock me in. The freedom, the opportunity you have to meet more people that have been through different walks of life. 

What have the challenges been transitioning from High School to Running Start?

The biggest challenge [was] probably trying to fit in. Personally, it was very hard to make friends with college students. It [was] fun to watch all the different personalities from afar, but trying to interact with them and really form a connection [was] tough. Once they find out that I’m a running start student, I'm currently 17, not even an adult. It feels like I'm treated differently like I'm not a real college student. I'm kind of just like a kid pretending to be something more on campus. 

Was it difficult for you transitioning from the course load expected of a high school student to the course load expected of a college student

 I will say the high school course load is more busy work. Everything I've done in college, it feels like there's less work, but the work I do matters. In high school, you're doing something pretty much every day, but it's like an irrelevant assignment to fill the time half the time, just like random busy work to keep you going. But college, every assignment that I feel is assigned to me actively matters.

Running Start Interview 3: Ember Holmes

Ember Holmes is a sophomore resident here at CWU and she used to be a Running Start student in her high school at Auburn Riverside. Holmes attended her running start program at a community college called Green River Community College. 

When you were a running start student, what type of class did you take?

I went to Auburn Riverside high school, the closest running start program was in the community college, Green River College, or Green River Community College. Though my goal was to get my AA...during my Running Start time, I got my prerequisites out of the way for what would have been my freshman and sophomore year at college.

Do you think college is easier now that you’ve taken Running Start?

From what I can think, I don’t think I had to take any prerequisites here at the very least. I would say that doing Running Start did make it easier to come in and jump into my college classes here. I think I had a lot more support when I was doing Running Start than I’ve seen some other freshmen whenever they got to college. But yeah, I think that it prepared me better than I think my senior year prepared me for college.

What is something you’d wish people who were going into Running Start would know about?

For starters, I wish that [the program] was advertised a bit better. At my high school, I do feel like it was not advertised out to our students very much. And I feel like our high school made it kind of hard to do Running Start. But I think that the hardest part about running start was just getting signed up into the program.

Are running start classes difficult?

No not really, I honestly say they were just like AP classes, [the] running start college classes. Honestly, college classes just feel like regular high school classes. So, Running Start isn’t that much different than just going to a different school.

Aislin Paton

Aislin Paton is a second year Running Start student with an interest in pursuing mathematics. 

Why Did You Pick Running Start?

 I picked Running Start because CWU credit can sometimes transfer but also it shows a higher level than some AP classes or even honors level. But also, I wanted to get more into the community that CWU has. 

What were some of the challenges you’ve faced  transitioning from high school into Running Start?

One of the main issues is scheduling with the high school. With making sure all your classes are lined up. Another issue is maybe transportation going between all your classes. And I would say it’s maybe it [makes you feel] a little bit more nervous because you're going to go into the classes and not really know anyone. Usually there are people older than you and you might feel a little nervous. 

What was it like transitioning in terms of course work?

It was generally pretty similar. I was taking some AP classes and I was already taking like four advanced math classes, so it was generally the same. But I would say that online work is more common, but doing things online as opposed to writing it down was a little easier for me. But there are more exams I would say, like midterms and final exams. That was a bit more stressful. 

 Do you think that your social life has changed since moving to college?

100%. I would say if you don’t have friends from high school who take the same Running Start classes, it’s a lot more lonely I would say. When you’re at the high school, you have this whole group of people that you’ve known since middle school and even elementary school. When you get to Running Start, It’s just a bunch of college students. Class time is also a good time for socializing but if your friends aren’t in the classes as you, it’s difficult. 

Shale Tenerelli

Shale Tenerelli is a second year Running Start Student interested in pursuing psychology and music. 

Why Running Start? 

 I have three older siblings and they’ve done Running Start. But also, I think it’s just a new experience for me personally. I feel like high school can really drag on and it’s nice to go somewhere fresh and new and meet some new people. It’s also not completely new because some of my high school friends are also doing Running Start. So, it’s somewhere in between college and high school since I know so many people here, I feel like. But also the course load here is more challenging than at the high school. Because they have a lot more variety of courses I can take. I like taking everything I possibly can just to get a feel for everything and they don’t have that at the high school. 

 What were some of the challenges going from a high school setting to a college setting? 

 I don’t think it was very challenging for me. It was a little bit weird, everybody being a bit older than me. Not in a bad way, but everybody would ask ‘what’s your major?’, ‘what grade are you in?’, or ‘what’s your year?’ And I'm like, ‘I’m actually not in college yet’ and they are like ‘What?’ But I still find it really fun and I’m somewhat used to being around older people, most of my siblings are older than me. Like I said, the course work is more challenging than high school. And I feel like it’s a little bit more, that the teachers have higher expectations. 

What about the structure? 

 I like the structure of college classes a lot better than high school because I find it very tiring to just be on a specific schedule every single day and have really no rest. In high school, there’s only five minute breaks between classes. So, I like being able to take time in the middle of the day to do my homework rather than waiting until the end of the day because by then my brain is very tired. I also like being around a lot of people, there’s a lot more space in the university than there is at the high school. There are a lot more spaces to study. So, it’s easier for my brain to function sometimes when I’m around more people. Since there are different places for me to study, I go to different places for each subject. So, for math I liked to be around this many people whereas for physics I don’t like being around people because it’s a harder subject for me. But it’s been a good adjustment for me.

What do you think is the most interesting thing you’ve studied at college? 

I think I found everything interesting. Though that’s not a very good answer. I’ll say I took a women and religious class, Which I found particularly interesting because I’m not religious. And I don’t ever study religion and it’s not really something you can study at the high school. So it was a completely new thing for me.