ROTC. Culinary Arts. Auto Mechanics. Cosmetology.
These are all programs that are available on only specific campuses in the district. Students who wish to pursue these careers later in life attend two schools, spending one day at one campus, then the next day at the other school.
“When I first started they had buses so I went there half the day,” senior and Air Force ROTC cadet Colton Lammons said. “It was scary being at Leander with upperclassmen. I remember thinking ‘This is crazy, I can’t do this.’ And then I’d come back here and it’d be a ghost town.”
ROTC is offered at two campuses, Vista Ridge and Leander High School. The course at Leander is targeted to students interested in the Air Force while the course at Vista Ridge is to prepare students for the Navy. The ROTC program provides many different groups and leadership opportunities to the cadets.
“I’m not in leadership because you have to be a sophomore, but I am on rifle team,” freshmen Navy ROTC cadet Ivan Castelan said. “I like shooting, it’s really helping me prepare for my future career as a Navy SEAL.”
Leadership programs and opportunities promoted throughout the ROTC program help the cadets to prepare for a military future.
“If it wasn’t for ROTC I wouldn’t have the leadership positions I have now,” Lammons said. “It set me up for positive and successful future relationships; it adds perspective and helps me socially by helping me to form connections and meeting people and interacting. It’s not just this school; it gives me another student body to interact with.”
Another dual campus course that is offered at Leander High School is Cosmetology. This course requires an interview before a student can be accepted. Students who are accepted into this program have to adhere to a strict dress code of scrubs and have to have their makeup and hair done.
“The interaction with everyone and learning how to style hair and doing nails and stuff makes it worth the hassle,” junior Cosmetology student Christina Hunt said.
The beauty program prepares students for a career in salons and teaches hair styling, nails and other such beauticians’ work. The students work long hours to meet the requirements to become a licensed beautician.
“This cosmetology program is way cheaper than going to Paul Mitchell’s Beauty School by thousands of dollars so it’s worth being dual campus,” junior Cosmetology student Jessica Aguilar said. “At the end of your second year you can take the test to get certified and begin your career. If you don’t pass then you’ve graduated so you have to just keep trying.”
The craving to create also draws students to a dual campus life style. While RHS has some cooking classes, Cedar Park offers an advanced culinary program. Senior Matt Warrenburg attends RHS on A days and heads to Cedar Park on B days.
“Culinary has been my passion for awhile,” Warrenburg said. “I took a food science class and they told me they offered a higher program so I chose it.”
While the benefits of attending two schools at once help to prepare students for their future careers, there are also downsides.
“I feel split, the sense of belonging isn’t quite there,” Lammons said. “Tutorials are another challenge, meetings with teachers are more difficult to arrange because they have to work around your schedule. Sometimes I wish that I could split myself into two people so that I could do everything I want to.”
Lammons, who is also part of FFA, has to work around his complex schedule to make important events and meetings.
“It’s difficult not being able to see certain friends and clubs because you won’t be there for them,” Lammons said. “It’s easier at one campus because you don’t have to worry, it’s difficult to overcome, but eventually you adapt.”
Despite the disadvantages, dual campus students like Aguilar still say it’s worth it.
“You get to be a part of more than one family,” Aguilar said. “If you don’t fit in at one place, you can fit in at the other.”
