Two Students Give the Phrase "Dual Enrollment" a New Meaning

May 19, 2010

Two particularly hard-working Saint Leo University transfer students were honored with scholarship awards this week at their local commencement from the Community College of the Air Force in Columbus, Miss. The scholarships will come in handy as the recipients continue their academic work toward their bachelor’s degrees at Saint Leo’s Continuing Education Center, at Columbus AFB.

Technical Sgt. Erica Solis and Staff Sgt. Murat Elahi both chose an accelerated path when they enrolled at Saint Leo, explained Dew White, director of the SLU Center at Columbus AFB. It is more customary for a student coming from a community college to complete his or her associate degree program first, and then begin their upper-level courses required for their bachelor’s degree from Saint Leo.

These two students, both management majors, maintained overlapping enrollments at CCAF and Saint Leo so that they could complete their coursework more quickly. They had to wisely balance course loads each semester to pull it off. “They’re with us, they’re working full-time, and they were finishing CCAF,” White said.

Both Solis and Elahi were selected for the Air Force Association Pitsenbarger Award from the Columbus AFB community. “This year, they awarded two, and both went to Saint Leo students,” noted the proud and excited White.


Elahi also won another scholarship for book purchases, the Blaze 56 Scholarship. Elahi will likely graduate in 2011from Saint Leo, and Solis in 2012.

Saint Leo University’s Continuing Education Center at Columbus AFB is the youngest full-fledged center among Saint Leo’s continuing education locations, which exist in seven states. The Saint Leo Columbus AFB Center opened in fall 2008. Its first commencement ceremony is June 19.

Photo: Technical Sgt. Erica Solis and Staff Sgt. Murat Elahi with Sonic Johnson, center, public affairs officer for Columbus AFB.