For 22 Oxford High School students, the transition from high school to college won’t be difficult.

The first group to complete all five years of Oxford’s Schools Early College (OSEC) program graduated and received their high school diplomas at a May 25 ceremony.

Oxford Schools Early College, established in 2012, allows students to earn college credits at Rochester College/Macomb Community College and a high school diploma at the same time.

“It was a vision and a dream five years ago and to see it all come through is great,” said Oxford Early Schools College principal Janet Schell. “(Each of our) students have varying types of interests, from fashion to missions to mechanical engineering. (OSEC) is just such a great school to be able to explore your passion.”

Students in the Early College program attend an additional year of high school, attending for a total of five years. An average of 64 transferrable credits are earned by those who complete it.

To graduate from the program, students also must complete a Capstone project in their fifth-year, which focuses on service learning.

A Gala Walk, which allowed students to showcase their year-long project, was held at the ceremony.

For her project, Emily Burrows raised more than $400 towards Camp Hope in Colorado, a nonprofit organization which provides overnight camp experiences to youths, by providing her creative services, which included graphic design and photography, in exchange for donations towards the cause.

Burrows will soon be entering into an internship with Rehema Home Orphanage in Kenya, a nonprofit organization which provides care to orphaned and abandoned children.

“I learned a lot of business skills and how to raise money (through my Capstone project) which are both helpful. I plan to use those skills in my internship,” said Burrows, who has earned an associate of arts degree from Rochester College through OSEC.

Paul Boes focused his efforts towards his church, Christ the King Church in Oxford, for his Capstone project by installing security cameras into its upcoming daycare center for safety purposes.

Boes worked with Novi-based Security Corporation to perform the placement and installation of nearly 15 cameras within the center.

“(I learned) a lot about mechanical engineering, learned how to utilize my time, and how to be a project manager while doing my Capstone project. The program and project have helped me get into that right mind of what I need to do to be a good leader,” said Boes.

Boes earned 56 credits from Rochester College and will transfer 50 of those to Michigan Technological University in the fall, where he will major in mechanical engineering and minor in business and electrical engineering.

Students who completed the program were noted by school officials to have saved themselves and their parents countless dollars in tuition, book costs and other fees. The students also received more than $65,000 altogether in scholarship money.

Nine of the students earned at least one Associate’s degree through the program this year.