Accelerated Degree student now has open door to VCU

Mekhi Moore planned to attend Virginia Commonwealth University right after high school.

When he didn’t get in, he had to come up with a new plan.

Moore, 19, started searching options on Tidewater Community College’s website and found the Accelerated Degree Program (ADP).

“Right away I saw this as a way to get to VCU as quickly as possible, so I signed up and never looked back,” he said.

While most of us think of it taking at least two years to earn an associate degree, TCC’s accelerated option allows students to complete all of their credits in just one year.

For Moore, the doors to VCU are now open.

“I’ll be attending my dream school in the fall and living with my best friend in an apartment off-campus,” he said.

Moore will enter VCU as a junior and begin work on his bachelor’s degree in math. Additionally, he hopes to earn his teaching credential.

While at TCC, Moore says he made some great connections, even though all of his classes were online because of the pandemic.

“We worked closely as a cohort. We had classes together, studied together and helped each other,” he said. “While the program is rigorous, we had everything we needed to be successful.”

Moore graduates from TCC this summer with an Associate of Science in General Studies.

He credits the college with giving him more than a degree. “I’m more confident. I also know how to manage my time and balance work and school,” Moore said.

Moore has a lot to say to high school juniors and seniors.

“Keep your options open and make smart decisions,” Moore said. “I’m leaving TCC with no student debt and a head start on college.”

Moore hopes to give back by becoming a high school math teacher. He wants to help guide students in those last years before adulthood.

“I still hold on to the life lessons from some of my best teachers and I want to do that for other kids,” he said.

 Moore added, “I’ll graduate from college at 21 and be teaching before most people earn their degrees. TCC’s accelerated degree made that possible.”

To learn more about the program and receive help applying to TCC, contact the college’s Virtual Student Support Team by emailing info@tcc.edu or calling 757-822-1111.