12 Vienna High School graduates to graduate college before high school

VIENNA, Ill. (KBSI) – Twelve high school graduates in Vienna will not only early their high school diploma, but also a college degree.

For more than 10 years, Vienna High School has had multiple students who have marched to pomp and circumstance back-to-back.

These Class of 2023 seniors have not only completed their requirements for high school graduation, but have also completed their associates degrees either at Shawnee Community College (SCC) or Southeastern Illinois College (SIC).

• Kali Erin Browning (SCC)
• Sydney Elyse Corzine (SCC)
• Cambell Philip Douglas (SCC)
• Sarah Beth Flick (SCC)
• William Kaden Glisson (SCC)
• Dylan Conner Johnson (SCC)
• Izabella Grace Langston (SCC)
• Jillian Renee Stevens (SCC)
• Elisabeth June Thomas (SCC)
• Grace Ann VanAusdoll (SCC)
• Natalie MaRay Zoeckler (SCC)
• Macie Braelyn Dalton (Southeastern Illinois College)

“The career planning and early college initiatives that Vienna has worked in cooperation with its college partners over the last decade have been not only fruitful for those graduating from high school and college at the same time, but has also drastically increased college readiness rate for all students, opened up better career exploration, and has allowed many high school students to at a minimum get started on their college transcript,” said Vienna superintendent Joshua Stafford.

• Shawnee Community College holds graduation on Friday, May 12, at 6 p.m.
• Southeastern Illinois College holds graduation on Friday, May 12, at 7 p.m.
• Vienna High School will hold graduation on Friday, May 19, at 6 p.m.

Vienna High School offers more than 125 dual credit hours, 12 career pathways, five Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) approved college and career pathway endorsement (CCPE) pathways, and a comprehensive career framework that provides a career road map for all students.

Stafford shared that all parts of the cooperation are vitally important to student success, but emphasized the importance of remedial course work. He says remedial course work has been made accessible to students while they are in high school.

“Fourteen years ago we had only 40% of the graduates reading and writing ready at the college level,” said Stafford. “Due to the hard work of our instructors and those at the colleges, we have now brought that college readiness number to over 90%. This has major implications for students as they move into the future of college and careers.”

The Class of 2023 at Vienna has collectively completed more than 2,000 credit hours towards their college degrees through the dual credit/enrollment partnerships. These hours have been earned through dual credit offerings at the high school and by students attending classes at the college, both online and at the colleges’ campuses.

Learn about the 12 high school/college grads below:

• Kali Erin Browning-daughter of Jessica Browning and David and Heidi Browning. She is a member of Beta Club, Pep Club, Educators Rising, Prom Committee, Dale Fowler’s Youth Advisory Council, Johnson County 4H Eagles, 4H Shaky Shamrocks Teen Leader, Eagle Outlook, The Talon, a Student Council Representative, and Vice President of Future Educators Club. She participated in cheer all four years. She is also a Four-Year Honor Student and has earned the Education Endorsement. Kali graduated from Shawnee Community College with her Associate of Arts degree. She plans on attending Murray State University in the fall to major in political science and pre-law and move on to law school to become a lawyer.
• Sydney Elyse Corzine-daughter of Tim Corzine and Stacey Diaz. She is the president of Future Educators Club, and a member of 4-H, Sewing Club, and Garden Club. Sydney is the first Recording Secretary elected for Educators Rising in Illinois. She is also a member of Phi Theta Kappa for Shawnee Community College. Sydney has obtained her Social Work Endorsement and has also completed over 100 hours of educational work to receive an endorsement in Education. Sydney graduated from Shawnee Community College with her associate degree. She plans on attending Southern Illinois University Carbondale to obtain her bachelor’s degree in elementary education.
• Macie Braelyn Dalton-daughter of Brandon and Ashly Dalton and Jason and Courtney Whiting. She participated in cross country for one year and basketball all four years. She is a member of the CNA program, FFA, Beta Club, Pep Club, and Prom Committee. Macie is a Four-Year Honor Student. She served as the Beta Club’s co-president and also the captain of the Lady Eagles’ basketball team. She has earned the Certified Nursing Assistant Endorsement. Macie graduated from Southeastern Illinois Community College with her Associate of Arts and Science degrees. Macie plans on attending the University of Tennessee-Martin in the fall to major in health and human performances in hopes of becoming a physician’s assistant.
• Cambell Philip Douglas-son of Chad and Jodie Douglas. He is a member of FFA, Beta Club, Pep Club, Dale Fowler’s Youth Advisory Council, and Student Council. He participated in cross country, track, and basketball. He is also an Illinois State Scholar and Four-Year Honor Student. Cambell graduated from Shawnee Community College with his Associate of Arts degree. He plans on attending Southern Illinois University Carbondale and majoring in agribusiness.
• Sarah Beth Flick-daughter of Cindy and Kevin Flick. Sarah served as the Beta Club vice president, and she is an Illinois State Scholar and Four-Year Honor Student. Sarah graduated from Shawnee Community College with her Associate of Science degree and plans to attend Murray State University for a degree in pre-pharmacy and continue on to graduate school at University of Kentucky.
• William Kaden Glisson- son of Amie and Brian Glisson. Kaden participated in FFA for three years and was part of Pep Club for all four years. He is an Illinois State Scholar and a Four-Year Honor Student who graduated with an Associate of Arts degree from Shawnee Community College. After high school, he plans to go to Southern Illinois University Carbondale, where he will major in electrical engineering.
• Dylan Conner Johnson-son of Kelly and John Johnson. He is a member of Beta Club, Pep Club, Student Council, and Eagle Outlook. He is an Illinois State Scholar. He is also a member of Phi Theta Kappa and graduated from Shawnee Community College with his Associate of Arts degree. He will attend Murray State University where he will major in finance. After graduating from Murray, Dylan would like to become a certified financial planner.
• Izabella Grace Langston-daughter of Russell and Melissa Langston and Missy Rising. She is a member of Beta Club, Future Educators Club, Pep Club, and Prom Committee. She is also an Illinois State Scholar and Four-Year Honor Student. She has earned the Social Work Endorsement. Izzy graduated from Shawnee Community College with her Associate of Arts degree. She plans on attending Murray State University in the fall to major in accounting.
• Jillian Renee Stevens-daughter of Wade and Danielle Stevens. Jillian has participated in football and basketball cheer. She was involved in PepClub, The Talon, Future Educators Club, and 4-H throughout her four years in high school. She was Beta Club co-president her senior year. She has earned the Education Endorsement. Jillian graduated Shawnee Community College with her Associate of Arts degree. She plans on attending Murray State University to major in political science and minor in psychology.
• Elisabeth June Thomas-daughter of Billy and Rachel Thomas. She is a member of Pep Club, Beta Club, Future Educators Club, Eagle Outlook, Prom Committee, and Student Council. She was also a junior marshall and served as class president. She is a Four-Year Honor Student and graduated with her Associate of Arts degree from Shawnee Community College. She has earned the Social Work Endorsement. Libby will be attending Murray State University in the fall to earn her master’s degree in dietetics to become a registered dietitian and specialize in diabetic patients.
• Grace Ann Van Ausdoll-daughter of Timothy and Crystal Van Ausdoll. Grace participated in the World Language Club and was the team captain of her advisory career group, the Hip Hamsters, during her senior year. She is an Illinois State Scholar and a Four-Year Honor Student who graduated with an Associate of Arts and an Associate of Science degree from Shawnee Community College. After high school, she plans to go to Southern Illinois University Carbondale, where she will major in biomedical engineering and ASL linguistics.
• Natalie MaRay Zoeckler-daughter of Kim Blackman and Robert Zoeckler. She is involved in Youth For Christ, Pep Club, the CNA program, and Prom Committee. She participated in basketball cheer, competition cheer, cross country, and track. She is a part of the National Society of High School Scholars. She has earned the Certified Nursing Assistant Endorsement and Social Work Endorsement. She graduated with her Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, and General Studies degree from Shawnee Community College. She plans to stay around here for school to become a nurse practitioner.