St. Petersburg College has named a lifelong K-12 educator and administrator as its new dean of dual enrollment, which enables high school students to earn college credits.
Dr. Raquel Hairston, the former principal of SPC’s collegiate high school, will now shape its dual enrollment strategy and partnerships. Expanding regional access to early college opportunities is her overarching mission.
Hairston noted that taking college courses in high school reduces financial burdens and prepares students for success after graduation. She said an abundance of research proves that “this model works.”
“For me, it’s about bridging systems,” Hairston said of her new role. “I understand both sides of that partnership.”
That understanding stems from over 26 years of experience. Hairston’s teaching career began in her home state of Alabama; she joined Pinellas County Schools in 1999.
She taught reading, English, and language arts before becoming an administrator. Hairston served as assistant principal of Morgan Fitzgerald Middle, acting assistant principal at Northeast High, and principal at Meadowlawn and Tarpon Springs Middle Schools.
In 2019, Hairston became principal of St. Petersburg Collegiate High School at SPC’s Gibbs campus. She was appointed principal of St. Petersburg Collegiate STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) High School at the Downtown Center in 2022.
SPC’s announcement states that Hairston “launched initiatives to optimize productivity, elevate leadership performance, and foster continuous improvement across programs and teams.”
Hairston said her K-12 experience will “really allow me the opportunity to scale what I’ve been doing at the school level.” She added that opening the STEM high school “afforded me the opportunity to really examine things from a systems perspective.”
In her new role, Hairston plans to align academic systems, remove barriers, and create “coherent pathways for early college success” for students across the region. She called dual enrollment a free “on-ramp to the bachelor’s degree program.”
“And it’s not just the tuition,” Hairston continued. “It is the textbooks, it is the lab coat, it is the calculators – it is everything we provide, in addition to the academic support. This model provides students with the support they need – and the rigor – to be able to perform at high levels in a post-secondary environment.”
She believes educators should begin preparing students for dual enrollment in middle school. Hairston said kids are “accelerating much earlier,” and wants to coordinate with principals to ensure they have a “clear understanding” of college opportunities.
“We want to make sure students understand that there are options,” she said. “You don’t have to transfer on to a four-year university. You could go directly into the workforce.”
Hairston also stressed the importance of understanding each student’s unique needs rather than applying a solution without a “clear picture of the answer.” She can then offer academic resources, including free tutoring, or social support.
“As educators, it’s really our job to help grow a student’s self-efficacy – their belief in their own ability,” Hairston said. “And this program has proven that with the right support, all students can perform at high levels.”
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