The stress of homework, fitting in time to talk to friends during passing period, sports, clubs, not being tardy, trying not to get trampled while navigating the cramped hallways, wondering where to sit in the lunchroom when someone takes your usual spot — these are the lovely obstacles that school provides to its students on a daily basis

What you may not know, is the stress of school challenges double for Derby High students enrolled in the Butler Early College Academy program.

Junior Rachel Dworak is enrolled in the Business and Entrepreneurship academy through Butler Community College. It is an academy that requires her to be at the Butler campus in Andover for her three hour class by noon.

Wait a minute. Shouldn’t she be at the highs chool during that time?

Dworak is required to be at the high school in the morning, and at the college in the afternoon. She is enrolled at both Derby High School and Butler Community College.

“I haven’t been able to go to as many tennis meets because I don’t want to miss out on class as much. College classes are so much harder to make up,” Dworak said.

Attending both schools is exactly as it sounds — attending two schools.

This often leaves little to no time for the “high school experience.”

“Not being at the high school when all my friends are there. I feel like I miss out not having any classes with them,” Dworak said.

The students enrolled in the academies jump right into the schooling that high school is supposed to prepare them for.

“College is a whole other level. It’s not too much harder, but there is a lot higher expectation from the college instructors,” Dworak said.

The split between high school and college leaves Dworak to decide whether to jump right into college or to tighten her loosening grip on high school.