Although it’s technically accurate to call Trey Brakensiek a senior at Wright City, you might be hard pressed to find him walking the halls between classes throughout the school day. Instead, you’d be more likely to find him in a class or library at St. Charles Community College, where Brakensiek has the rare distinction of being a full-time dual enrollment student.

Essentially, Brakensiek is both a high school senior and a college freshman at the same time, attending a full schedule of college classes four days a week. If not for a personal finance credit he hadn’t yet completed, Brakensiek said he finished all the other requirements to graduate high school last year.

Despite being a full-time student at SCC, Brakensiek is still active at Wright City as well. He plays baseball and basketball for the school, and is a member of National Honor Society and Student Council.

Q: What are your classes at SCC?
“I’m getting my gen-eds out of the way. English composition, U.S. history, stuff like that.”

Q: How has college been going?
“I like it. It’s more free. ... It’s more opportunities (to study) what you want to.”

Q: What classes are you interested in?
“I have some basic business classes. I would like to go into a sports business degree.”

Q: How do you keep up with your classes and activities?
“I sit in the SCC library Monday and Tuesday and try to knock out as much as I can for the week. ... For school work, I use the Canvas app, which has a dashboard that has weekly assignments. I also have a calendar on my phone that I use quite a lot to keep track of everything.”

Q: What class is your best subject?
“Math is something I’m really good at, but I don’t necessarily enjoy. ... But if I can apply it to the real world, instead of just looking at formulas, it makes it a lot more enjoyable.”

Q: What study methods have been helpful for you?
“Sometimes there’s discussions in class that I just can’t get. I have to go out on my own to try to figure it out.
“Sometimes it’s easier for me to ask another teacher. There’s some teachers here that can really get stuff across to me.”

Q: Do you still interact with Wright City teachers?
“I still do. Now it’s more like guidance on careers than school work.”

Q: What do you think are the habits of a successful student?
“The biggest thing is probably self-motivation.”

Q: What is your goal for a sports business degree?
“My grandparents used to take me to Cardinals games, and I got to meet the general manager one time, and I looked into it after that. It’s something that really fascinates me — the business side of sports. The financing, the marketing, how everything goes on.
“I came to the realization that I’m not going to be playing sports professionally ... but I still like sports enough that I want it to be my career, even if I’m not the one playing.”

Q: What are the steps for getting involved in that career?
“The biggest thing is getting into internships, and I feel like I’m setting myself up for a resume to be able to do that.”

Favorite food: Chicken and rice
Favorite movie: Cars
Favorite musician: Parker McCollum
Favorite destination: St. Thomas, Virgin Islands