At Canyon High School, students currently only have one option for learning a second language: Spanish. And, while Spanish is a popular pathway, not everyone is interested in taking it. At other high schools in the William S. Hart District, there are a variety of language pathways offered to students beyond Spanish. From French (which Canyon used to offer prior to this year) to American Sign Language (ASL), being able to choose a language you are interested in learning is so important to have.

I was someone who always wanted to learn a second language that was unique. However, because two years of a foreign language class are required in order to attend many colleges and universities after high school, per A-G requirements, a lot of students (myself included) feel pressured to just take a language course offered at their high school—even if it is not something they truly want to learn.

If you are someone who feels that the sole foreign language course offered here at Canyon is not enough, you're in luck, because there is an amazing opportunity that many overlook!

Each semester, College of the Canyons (COC) provides certain classes on Canyon’s campus during zero and sixth periods. These classes are called “Dual Enrollment Courses” and require a special set of steps to enroll.

Even though it may sound complicated, the process is actually quite simple! By reaching out to a counselor here at Canyon and completing a COC application, students become dual-enrolled, meaning they are considered both Canyon and COC students.

There are different classes offered each school year and semester. Each spring semester, if enough students express interest, Canyon offers a SIGN 101 course where students can learn the basics of American Sign Language while earning two years worth of foreign language credit in just one semester!

One of my friends and fellow Canyon students, Isys Garcia Morrison, discovered this opportunity last school year and signed up for the Spring 2025 class. It was offered here, on Canyon’s campus, in one of our very own classrooms, by a COC professor. She described the experience as “really enjoyable! I loved the group setting and the fun activities we would do. It was literally like we were learning a new way of communicating, not just a new language.”

She expressed that the reason she decided to take the course was because she tried taking French here at Canyon during her freshman year but did not really feel like the language was right for her. Taking ASL through COC allowed her to learn a language she actually wanted to learn in a structured environment. She joked, “It's already hard enough for me to talk in English! Why learn a new language using my voice when I can just sign with my hands?”

Taking any class through COC during your time in high school can be beneficial for a variety of reasons. For one, it allows students to get accustomed to the college environment before they graduate. Many college students wish they knew what to expect before they had to spend their own money on classes structured very differently than those they took in high school.

Taking certain classes through COC’s Dual Enrollment Program is also a cost-effective way to earn college credits early. SIGN 101, for example, is completely free for students who register in time! Normally, a four-unit COC course (like SIGN 101) would cost $184 plus fees, so students and their families keep all of that money in their own pockets if they complete it through the Dual Enrollment Program!

Obviously, there are some drawbacks to taking college courses at the same time as high school classes; students already have a lot on their plates, and adding college-level work on top of that can be too much for some. In addition, as I mentioned earlier, Dual Enrollment Courses are normally offered during zero and sixth periods. If this conflicts with students’ high school schedules (with sports, other classes, or extracurriculars), they can’t take the class.

ASL, for one, is an especially demanding course. The class meets during sixth periods every Tuesday and Thursday, but it can often run past 2:45 pm. The course goes by very fast, and it requires a lot of time outside of class practicing the language. As my professor, Professor Ayoub, always puts it: “If you don’t practice and do your homework, you will die in this class.”

Professor Ayoub has been an American Sign Language professor at COC since 2015. She has been deaf her whole life, and even if she can’t hear, she can communicate better than most people I know. She is such an expressive and supportive teacher whom I have absolutely adored being a student under.

In her class, she sets expectations on the first day that this class will be challenging, but it will also be extremely rewarding. My experience learning ASL with my fellow students has been nothing short of amazing.

A junior and fellow ASL classmate of mine, Bridgette Czarnecki, recounted her thoughts on the class this past semester: “I thought it was so fun! It was honestly a stress reliever; I always looked forward to the class! I would recommend everyone to take ASL because it's so interactive, and you get to know your fellow classmates on a more intimate level!”

Getting to not only learn a new and unique language but also the history behind it, along with meeting Deaf people here in the Santa Clarita Valley, is an experience like no other. You’d be surprised how enlightening it is to be able to communicate with someone who, with the majority of people, can’t.

As someone who seeks out affordable and convenient opportunities that can help me get a head start on my education after high school, finding COC’s Dual Enrollment Program changed my life. If you are at all interested in what is being offered, do not hesitate to reach out to your counselor for more information!