Sometimes, Mother knows best. Just ask Earl Sturdivant.

?I didn?t want to come here,? Sturdivant said about the Anson County Early College (ACEC) on South Piedmont Community College?s (SPCC) L.L. Polk Campus. ?I didn?t know anything about Early College.?

His mother, Jacquelyn Sturdivant, wanted him to attend the Early College, however, and that was that. Sturdivant graduated Monday with a high school diploma and a college transfer Associate in Arts degree. In the fall, he will enroll at N.C. State University to pursue a degree in construction engineering.

Early College is a five-year state program that allows students to earn a high school diploma and a college transfer associate degree. SPCC houses early colleges on both the L.L. Polk and Old Charlotte Highway campuses, in coordination with the Anson County and Union County school systems.

Despite his early reluctance, Sturdivant quickly began to enjoy his time at Anson County Early College. ?After a few weeks, I began to love it,? he said. ?I didn?t want to know anything about it before I came here. ? (Now) I think it?s a really good option for a middle school student who wants to go to a four-year school.?

?I think, probably, he didn?t want to leave his friends, because they weren?t all coming here,? said Robin Cook, SPCC?s Early College liaison.
Sturdivant, a native of Lilesville, admitted that even in middle school, ?I just hung out with the kids I already knew.?

He began to make new friends, however, when he arrived at the Early College. ?The principal, Mrs. (Deborah) Davis has an individual connection with every student. Every teacher has a connection with the students. Everybody knows everybody. Everybody has a connection in school and away from school. I?ve been to all my teachers? houses, had dinner. That?s one of the reasons I really, really like it.?

Enrolling in the Early College didn?t mean giving up everything that a traditional high school student experiences. Anson Early College students can still participate in after-school extracurricular activities? like sports, band and flag squad? at Anson Senior High during their first four years, as long as that participation does not interfere with their Early College work. Sturdivant played soccer at Anson for four years. ?The first few years, I could balance it pretty well,? he said.

A 12th-grade graduation project made striking that balance a little more difficult, but with the soccer season being early in the school year, he was able to make it work.

?Earl?s been great from the moment he set foot in the door,? Cook said, noting that he always had a lot of desire to do well. ?Earl always, always does what Earl is supposed to do.?

Biology instructor Tim Reischman remembers Sturdivant as someone who was a good student in his class and fun to be around. Reishman noted that when his class had to do individual presentations, Sturdivant did his on designer babies. ?He stayed very neutral, but he did bring up some very good ethical thoughts,? Reischman said.

And despite being ?very laid back,? Reischman said that during his presentation, Sturdivant was ?commanding, authoritative and well read. He?s an amazing little guy.? 
Sturdivant had always planned to go to a four-year school, even if he had gone to a traditional high school. ?I would have thought I would have been mentally ready, but I really wouldn?t have,? he said. ?Being (in Early College), you can kind of get the feeling. It?s different from a regular high school. ? I do think I would have gone to a four-year university, but I wouldn?t have been as ready.?

He chose N.C. State after visiting there and at UNC-Charlotte. ?Once
I got to State, I really liked the environment,? he said. ?It was
just the relationships. I got to talk to some of the teachers, some of
the students and some of the past students.?
After his visit, he conferred with his parents, teachers and friends and they all arrived at the decision that State should be his destination.
?Originally, I wanted to do something in architecture,? he said. ? ... In the distant future, I might come back to architecture.?

After he graduates from State, Sturdivant hopes to land a job as an engineer and ?give back to my community,? he said. ?My community was a very big part of my success.?

Reischman can see that happening. ?I would not be surprised to see him become a millionaire,? he said. ?He has that entrepreneurial spirit.?


SPCC?s graduation for curriculum students and the Anson County Early College will be held Monday evening at the Union County Agricultural Services Center. There are 272 curriculum graduates, plus 34 from the Early College. The Adult High School/GED graduation will be held earlier in the afternoon at the same location. There are 284 GED graduates and 29 Adult High School graduates.