WATERTOWN, Wis. — As she prepares to graduate from high school in June, Waterloo senior Michaela Lewellin has already completed a full semester’s worth of college coursework.
Lewellin will graduate with 26 college credits earned through Madison College’s Start College Now program, which allows high school students to take college-level classes while finishing their diplomas, at no cost to the student.
She began taking classes during the first semester of her senior year and enrolled full-time at the college for both semesters. This spring, she is taking anatomy and physiology courses as part of a pre-health track.
“I was nervous to start taking college classes because you always hear they’re harder than high school,” Lewellin said. “They are challenging, but not as overwhelming as I expected if you stay on top of your work.”
In addition to her coursework, Lewellin competes on her high school wrestling team and maintains honor roll status.
She said the experience has helped her feel more prepared for what comes next.
“It made college feel more manageable,” she said. “Now I know what to expect and what I need to do to be successful. It’s definitely more responsibility, but it helped me get organized and manage my time better. I feel more confident about going to college now because I’ve already experienced it.”
Lewellin is considering a career in nursing, with an interest in working with children, a direction she said was shaped by her coursework and earlier training as a certified nursing assistant.
The Start College Now program is open to high school students across the district and offers access to courses at several Madison College campuses, including Fort Atkinson, Portage, Reedsburg and Watertown.
Applications for the 2025–26 academic year are currently being accepted. Find more information at Madisoncollege.edu and the Start College Now web page.
