Dual Enrollment Changed My Life

KATYANNA TAYLOR

My Minneapolis College Story

If you’re a student, parent, or educator, this story is for you.

During my upperclassman years of high school, I enrolled full-time at Minneapolis College through PSEO (Postsecondary Enrollment Options).

I remember telling my Pre-AP English teacher during lunch that I wanted to graduate high school with an associate’s degree. She and some girls laughed:

“You can’t do that, are you kidding?”

Flustered, I walked out thinking: Watch me.

I graduated at 18 with 60 college credits, 56 of them for free. I didn’t directly finish my associate’s degree by high school graduation day (PSEO doesn’t cover summer tuition), but I paid out of pocket for 4 credits and entered university with a full AA.

So if you’re feeling behind, just know your timeline is still on time.

I met classmates from all walks of life: a father in recovery, a new mother, a transfer-bound 20-something, and me, a 16-year-old with big dreams and impostor syndrome. I took Forensic Science instead of Chemistry, Psych 101, where we ironically learned about Roth IRAs, and a painting course for patience. No AP course could have given me that.

Then May 2020, George Floyd was murdered. I lived 10 minutes away. That summer changed everything. COVID, protest, grief, resistance. I was lit with anger and purpose. Because for me, BLM isn’t a movement, it’s a lifelong testimony. As a black woman growing up in America, it's tied to my identity.

My education became part of that dedication.

When I got to San Diego State University, I thought I’d graduate in 2 years. Instead, I learned I couldn’t rush growth. After my first year, I took a leave of absence for my mental health. I reconnected with People for PSEO, advocating for access and policy alongside my peers and contributing to conversations with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

That’s where I truly discovered public policy for the first time.

When I returned back at SDSU, I fell 10x harder. I genuinely failed. I switched majors, and eventually, it clicked. I stopped listening to what other people told me I should be doing and who I should be. I stopped chasing money and started chasing meaning. I went back to my first love: Criminal Justice, and I slowly began digging myself out of a grave.

Junior year, I shared what I witnessed in Minneapolis in my CJ classes. Senior year, I toured prisons, visited juvenile halls, met incredible professors, and considered graduate school for the first time.

I’m still figuring it all out.
But what I do know is this:

Dual Enrollment changed my life.
For some, it’s a head start.
For me, it was a cushion. A space to fall, pause, and rise.
For you, or someone you love, it could be a saving grace.

Access matters. Timing matters. And dual enrollment can open doors long before you even realize which ones you’ll need.