LILLINGTON - Larry Austin Turner works quietly from a computer lab at Central Carolina Community College's Harnett County campus, but he could have easily worked from home. As a student in CCCC's Adult High School Education program online, Turner can occupy a "virtual" seat in a high school classroom from anywhere he chooses.

"I love the freedom of being able to attend class online," said Turner, who lives in Angier. "The online program gives me so much flexibility." Fellow student Marcus Russell, of Broadway, is just as enthusiastic. "It's gotten me through these last few months before graduation a lot faster. I can work on campus or at home."

Launched in 2007, the online Adult High School Diploma program has become one of fastest-growing, most popular programs on the Harnett County campus because it is ideal for students who cannot attend classes on campus, said Lead Instructor Tammie Quick.

"So many students have conflicts due to work, transportation or childcare. Since online technology is the wave of the future, why not give them the opportunity to earn a high school diploma from a fully accredited program with a common core, standards aligned curriculum that is conveniently online?" Quick said.

A former newspaper editor, Quick helped develop the online program at CCCC with the aid of "A+ Learning System" software. She established the framework in which the program operates and how CCCC students participate in the program.

"I didn't create the curriculum, but I helped integrate the software with student graduation requirements under the state's College and Career Readiness Standard Course of Study," said Quick. "The online program is also affiliated with the Harnett County School System which oversees credit requirements for graduation."

Quick helped configure the workload and the process by which students engage with the online program in order to fulfill state and county requirements. The Adult High School Diploma program differs from the High School Equivalency program (formerly known as GED(R)) in that students are actually working on high school credits rather than prepping to take a test, Quick explained. Upon graduation, they receive a high school diploma and are ready to enter any college in the state.

In 2013-2014, the online Adult High School Diploma program online expanded to include the Triangle South campus in Dunn and the Western Harnett Center complex. Tuition is free and the program is open to adults 18 and older, as well as minors (16 and 17 years of age) who have not attended school for six months and obtained a release from the last school attended.

A total of 50 students are currently enrolled in the online Adult High School Diploma program. Students who fulfill graduation requirements receive their diplomas at an actual graduation ceremony. They also receive tutoring and advisement from experienced teachers both online and on the Harnett County campus. Online program graduates also receive a North Carolina Career Readiness Certificate (CRC), a state-recognized credential that supports their workforce skill levels in applied math, reading and locating information. Employers recognize these as essential skills in job placement and career advancement, Quick explained.

Most students really love the online program and excel. However there are always a percentage of students who decide distance learning is not for them.

"Then there are those in the middle who come in, get help and, before long, are back sailing away at it," Quick said. "It is one more option that gives people the opportunity to finish their high school diploma and move on to career training or higher education, and that's what we're here for. It's our mission."

For more information about the online Adult High School Diploma program in Harnett County, contact Tammie Quick at (910) 814-8973 or e-mail her at tquick@cccc.edu.

For more information about the program in Lee County, contact Malissia McConnell at (919) 777-7721 or e-mail her at mmcconnell@cccc.edu.

For more information about the program in Chatham County, contact Judy Herndon at (919) 545-8028 or e-mail her at jherndon@cccc.edu.