Walking into engineering teacher Catherine Chirco’s Principles of Engineering class, Noah Schweitzer couldn’t wait to help the students work on their engineering project for the week.

“My favorite part has been teaching the students engineering and seeing them push through their struggles,” Schweitzer said.

His decision to cadet teach was a part of a larger goal — qualifying for the A+ program.

The A+ program was created by Missouri State Legislature via the Safe Schools Act of 1993, which intended to increase high school graduation rates. Completion of the program makes students eligible to receive state funding to cover the cost of tuition at any public community college or vocational or technical school in Missouri.

Schweitzer said he initially heard about the program from his older sisters and decided to participate because it aligned with his goals of maintaining high grades and staying involved at school Although he plans on attending a four-year university, Schweitzer said the program has taught him valuable skills for his future.

“I learned how to be in charge of a group in order to efficiently get work,” Schweitzer said.

Juli Welker, A+ and testing coordinator, said some of the requirements for the program include 95% attendance from freshman to senior year, 50 hours of unpaid tutoring and graduating with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or greater.

For Calvin Thompson, the A+ program helped him stay motivated throughout high school and prepare him for his future, although he plans on attending a four-year university, so he doesn’t expect to receive any funding.

“I thought it was a good way for me to get all the help I could before going off to college,” Thompson said. “It also provided a little bit of an incentive to just, you know, keep my grades up through senior year and do well in school, despite the appeal of sitting back and doing nothing.”

This story was originally published on Marquette Messenger on May 7, 2026.