Aubrey White graduated from Sussex County Technical School from the engineering program after already earning an associate degree from Sussex County Community College. She overcame challenges to pursue her college and career goals with drive and determination. (photo provided by Aubrey White)
Aubrey White was told that “just passing” in school was an achievement. She would not accept that goal despite facing the challenges that come with having dyslexia. This year, she is graduating high school from Sussex County Technical School after already earning an associate degree from Sussex County Community College.
“Graduating with two degrees is my way of proving to my younger self and anyone else facing a learning disability that anything is possible,” White said.
A drive to succeed is what unites the record-number 367 students this year who earned an associate degree before graduating from their county vocational-technical high school.
“Having the opportunity to earn an associate degree in high school has put me two years ahead and opens me up to taking advantage of even more opportunities in college, including getting an early start on research,” White emphasized.
White will apply the credits she has already earned to Penn State, where she will enter with junior status. She plans to study materials engineering and build on the education she received in the engineering program at Sussex County Technical School.
A jumpstart on goals
“This is what our county vocational-technical schools do so well; they provide opportunities for students to get a jumpstart on their college and career goals,” said Jack Swain, superintendent of Salem County Vocational Technical School District and president of the New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools (NJCCVTS). “Students’ end goals may vary, but they come to us ready to focus on their futures. Ideally, their futures involve working right here in New Jersey.”
Within Swain’s district, Olivia Faulhaber is one of 14 students to earn an associate degree from Salem County Community College prior to graduating from Salem County Career and Technical High School. Similar to White, Faulhaber is looking forward to jumping right into her major of early childhood education with about two years’ worth of credits accepted by Rowan University, where she will continue her studies in the fall.
“It means a lot to me to keep moving forward in the education field,” said Faulhaber. “I’ve always wanted to be a teacher, and being in high school with a daycare onsite has further motivated me to keep working toward my goal.”
Olivia Faulhaber (center) graduated with an associate degree from Salem Community College and a high school diploma after completing the childcare and early childhood education program at Salem County Vocational Technical School District. Her high school experience moved her closer to earning a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and reinforced her passion for the education profession, especially her interactions with students in The Learning Center, a daycare on Salem Tech’s campus. Faulhaber is pictured on a field trip with the daycare students to Combs Barnyard in Elmer. (photo provided by Salem County Vocational Technical School District)
“I am impressed by Olivia and our many students who share this same trajectory of identifying a career goal and taking every opportunity to prepare and get in a position to succeed,” said Salem Tech Principal Jason Helder. “That’s why our vocational-technical schools are so valuable. We give students choices to connect their learning to their career goals and ultimately save them time, money and other resources along the way.”
More options
Yeheira Acosta said having more choices to challenge herself academically is exactly what drove her to apply to Cumberland County Technical Education Center (CCTEC). Four years later, she is completing the CCTEC information technology program after already earning an associate degree in computer science from Rowan College of South Jersey.
“My dad learned about the opportunity to earn an associate degree when he attended a parent session,” Acosta explained. “At first, I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it, because my parents didn’t go to college. I talked to my counselor, who presented the steps to earning the degree, and I went for it.”
First-generation college student Yeheira Acosta, shown here with her parents, graduated from Cumberland County Technical Education Center after already earning an associate degree in computer science from Rowan College of South Jersey. (Photo provided by Yeheira Acosta)
Acosta said her success inspired her sister, Yachell, to follow in her footsteps as an engineering student at CCTEC also pursuing an associate degree while in high school. And, as she worked toward her dual degrees, her father enrolled in an online degree program to study cybersecurity.
Throughout the experience, she developed the self discipline needed to take on increasingly challenging coursework. She’ll rely on the habits she developed when she attends Vanderbilt University in the fall, where she will major in computer science.
“I’m so happy with all the decisions I’ve made so far to get me to this point,” Acosta said.
With a dream of using her degree to help start-ups and improve experiences in sports, Acosta already is a budding tech entrepreneur. She currently works as a freelance web designer and website manager for smaller organizations and even helps her church with its website.
Get involved
Learn more about partnerships between New Jersey’s county vocational-technical schools and colleges and universities that help students focus their learning, earn credits, gain new experiences and shorten the runway between the classroom and the workforce. Visit: https://careertechnj.org/college-and-university-partners/
Such partnerships help make it possible for a growing number of county vocational-technical school students to earn college credits while enrolled in their chosen high school career program.
Of the 367 students graduating from a county vocational-technical school this month with an associate degree:
- 74 are from Bergen County Technical School District, 60 from Cumberland County Technical Education Center
- 51 are from Ocean County Vocational Technical School, 35 from Hudson County Schools of Technology
- 31 from Camden County Technical Schools
- 26 from Somerset County Vocational and Technical Schools
- 23 from Essex County Schools of Technology
- 17 from Gloucester County Institute of Technology
- 17 from Morris County Vocational School District
- 14 from Salem County Vocational Technical School District
- 11 from Middlesex County Magnet Schools
- five from Mercer County Technical Schools
- three from Sussex County Technical School.
This article originally appeared June 29, 2026 in NJBIZ. It is authored by Jackie Burke, executive director of the New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools.
