students for life after high school. Daniel, a recent Farmington graduate headed to Lawrence Technological University, says, “You have a lot of options, like Oakland Early College, which is partnering with the local community college to dual enroll. Or you have OSTC, which is a technical college that focuses on the STEAM side of things. It gives a lot of students different opportunities, and it builds you up for your career.” Daniel followed his interests into graphic design. “I went to OSTC, and just going to that class for a portion of my day really deepened my creative skills and my technical abilities. I have three certifications for my field already on my resume. I have multiple portfolio pieces that are looked over by professionals to make sure they’re approved and field standard. I feel like it’s given me a huge boost on where I need to be.” Alexandria, a current senior, says her early college program has been transformative.“I’m in the Oakland ACE program, and it’s been so helpful. The program itself is around 60 credits, so it gives you such a boost for college, and it’s completely free for students,” she asserts. “I’ve known for a while that I wanted to go into something medical. But through the ACE program I’ve realized that I want to be a pediatrician. So, I’ll be taking some child development classes and things that will help me figure out my path even more.” On the subject of lifelong learning, Daniel says,“My dad has a saying,‘You don’t grow old, being a fool,’ and I think part of growing is learning things. If you don’t learn, you’re not going to grow as a person, become more well rounded and a better citizen.” Alexandria agrees, adding, “Being able to communicate is such an important part of learning. Building connections with people is invaluable.” INVESTING IN LEARNING SPACES The Farmington community supported a bond in 2020 that helped the district invest in infrastructure improvements. “We’re just wrapping up that work,” reports Dr. Coffin.“A lot of it was to our buildings, and 260 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 11
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