In addition to taking regular classes, filling out college applications and taking part in extracurriculars, the McCaskey East High School senior is enrolled in an early childhood education course at Harrisburg Area Community College's Lancaster campus.
About 40 McCaskey students are enrolled in college courses while still in high school, thanks to a $19 million high school reform initiative championed by Gov. Ed Rendell.
The state announced Friday it will expand the programs, and it has created a new grant to fund college and career counseling.
"I'm so happy I have this opportunity," said Coffey, who wants to be a teacher.
He said the college coursework is harder than typical high school classes, but it helps affirm his career choice.
School District of Lancaster is one of 19 districts in the state that will help pilot the counseling program. The district is receiving $180,000, one of the program's larger grants.
The counseling grants are designed to help school districts better prepare students for college or careers.
Two years ago, SDL helped pilot Project 720, which pays for more rigorous high school curricula. It is named for how many days students are in the classroom from ninth to 12th grade.
Under that same umbrella is the Dual Enrollment program, which allows students to earn college credits that also count toward their high school diplomas.
Now the state has added another 32 high schools to its Project 720 initiative, including Hempfield, which will receive an $83,000 grant this year. Elizabethtown is the only other county district participating.
"We identified needs in our high school, and they align with the expectations of the Project 720," Hempfield's Assistant Superintendent Robert O'Donnell said.
O'Donnell said having the grant money will help the administration stay focused on college and career preparation.
O'Donnell said the grant recipients are expected to link students with internships and industry professionals. The money also will help pay stipends for teachers who act as mentors for students participating in internships.
Pam McCarty, who oversees SDL's high school reform grants through McCaskey's Future Planning Center, said the programs have helped students be proactive for their futures.
She's thrilled a counseling component has been added to further motivate students.
"When you get the glimpse of the goal, when you picture what's beyond the McCaskey stage, you are taking stronger steps to creating the reality," McCarty said.
The grant money will be used to increase the counseling staff and increase the focus on ninth-graders.
"It gets their foot in the door," McCarty said. "It's a commitment to helping students get on a plan starting in ninth grade, when it's easier to work toward a goal."
Coffey, whose dream school is New York University, said he wished there were more people to motivate him when he first got to high school.
"I wish I would have thought about (the future) in ninth grade," he said. "I messed up a little bit, but now I am getting back on track."
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