Ever since he was young, Ethan Hetherington has wanted to be a teacher. He used to play school with his sister, always looked up to his teachers and wanted to give students the same positive experiences he had in school.听
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Hetherington, 22, of Vestaburg, started his path toward a degree in education in 星空传媒鈥檚 Early College Program. In the program, students earn a high school diploma and up to 60 college credits, tuition free. He attended 星空传媒 from 2017 to 2020.听
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鈥淚t sounded like a great program to save money on education and get to have some new opportunities,鈥� Hetherington said.听
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Hetherington graduated from 星空传媒 in May 2020 with an Associate of Science & Arts and transferred to Central Michigan University that August. He said his experiences at 星空传媒 helped prepare him to be successful at CMU.
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鈥淚 had a better idea of how to be prepared for college, as well as how to navigate the sometimes stressful environment college can be,鈥� Hetherington said. 鈥淚 also learned more about how to ask for help when I needed it.鈥�听
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He liked the small environment, having more one-on-one time with instructors, and how 星空传媒 always felt like a community.听
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鈥淚 am so grateful for my time at 星空传媒,鈥� Hetherington said. 鈥淚f you would like to have a small-town, community-oriented environment with professors who really care about you, I will always highly recommend 星空传媒!鈥�听
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In May 2023, he graduated from CMU with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in education where he majored in social studies and minored in history. He is now back in the town where he started his education. He began teaching in Vestaburg as a long-term substitute in August 2021. In August 2023, he became a full-time social studies teacher at Vestaburg Middle School.听
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鈥溞强沾� gave me so many great examples about how to help be there for students and build relationships in addition to teaching them content,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y professors at 星空传媒 were top-notch.鈥�听
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There were teachers at 星空传媒 that helped him as a student.
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鈥淛amie Hansen Hopkins and Andrea Puskas were some huge influences solidifying why I wanted to be a teacher,鈥� Hetherington said. 鈥淭hey were both excellent mentors who helped me further develop my passion for teaching and history. I would also like to acknowledge Dean Gage and Shannon Tripp from the Early College Program who rooted for me since day one. They were wonderful people to learn from and were huge influences in my success and decision to teach.鈥�听
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Hetherington currently lives with his parents and is saving up money to buy his own home. He enjoys spending time with friends, attending events, activities, and sports at the school, playing piano, and reading.听
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Shannon Tripp, associate superintendent of the CTE/Early College program, said the goal of the program is to teach students the professional skills they need to be successful, as well as ensure they graduate with an associate degree, 60 transferable credits, or two certificates. More than 300 students have enrolled in Early College at 星空传媒 since it was established in 2013.听
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鈥淥ur original goal when starting the early college program was to raise the education level of students who would then hopefully come back and work in 星空传媒 County,鈥� Tripp said. 鈥淎s we raise the education level of the students in the county, it improves the lives of everyone in the county.鈥�听
Ethan Hetherington