Jamie Koenig

A+ Scholarship Recipient  |  Alumni  |  Student

Jamie Koenig graduated from St. Charles Community College in May 2015 with an associate of arts in teaching degree for very little out-of-pocket cost, thanks to the A+ Scholarship Program.

“I heard about the A+ Program in high school,” Jamie said. “My mom and I both thought it would be a good program to take advantage of since I wasn’t sure where I wanted to attend college.”

Jamie excelled while participating in the program. She stayed on track with the basic requirements while in high school: a 2.5 GPA, 95% attendance rate and 50 hours of tutoring.

“I completed my tutoring hours at the same elementary school that I attended. I helped students read, write and complete daily assignments. To me, it was clear that the students benefitted from my assistance; they looked forward to me returning week after week.” 

Finding her passion for children and education while tutoring for the A+ Program is one of the reasons Jamie came to SCC.

“The experience was extremely rewarding and ultimately led me to purse an A.A.T. in elementary education at SCC.”

Jamie chose St. Charles Community College as her initial step for her college education after speaking with other local universities and learning how much she would owe after her first two years of college.

“It didn’t take long to see how financially beneficial it was to attend SCC. Thanks to the A+ Program, I was taking the same courses that I would have been taking at Lindenwood University but at no expense to me except for the cost of my books.”

Other factors played in to Jamie coming to SCC, like being able to live at home and save money, work part-time and take advantage of other available scholarships.

“I was awarded a Foundation book scholarship, which let me save even more money. My books were completely paid for my second year at SCC.”

Jamie, who will be attending the University of Missouri-St. Louis in the fall, is quick to suggest the A+ Program to high school freshmen. 

“I strongly recommend the A+ Program to high school students who wish to pursue a college education. My experience at St. Charles Community College was more than I could have hoped for. The instructors were very professional and helpful; the A+ Coordinator, Kirsten Perschbacher, always responded promptly to any of my questions and concerns; and the counselors were extremely helpful when I reached out to them.”

The next step in Jamie’s college education will begin debt free thanks to the A+ Program.

“I feel that I am more than ready to move forward with my bachelor degree programs in elementary education and special education at UMSL.”

Jamie emphasized how the A+ Program makes attending college a realistic goal for anyone who is willing to put forth the time and effort in high school.

“Taking advantage of the A+ Program at a community college is an affordable alternative to starting at a four-year institution where your debt can quickly become overwhelming.”