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ELON — Aubrey Johnson coasted through ninth grade, unmotivated and unchallenged by his midlevel classes at Western Alamance High School.

Then he spent a summer at Elon Academy and went back to school renewed.

Johnson took honors-level courses and sat in the front of the classrooms, eager to learn.

“My 10th grade, I was dedicated 100 percent,” said Johnson, a rising junior. “When you always have people encouraging you, you have the energy to do more and push yourself.”

Elon Academy is a three-year program for financially disadvantaged students in Alamance County who are academically gifted. Students spend a month each summer living and taking classes at Elon University.

This is the third year of the program, so members of the first class of Elon Academy students are rising seniors. About 80 scholars spent the summer on campus.

Students leave the dorms before 8 a.m. — the only thing Johnson doesn’t enjoy about the academy — and have scheduled events, including sports, art, dance and music, until about  9 p.m. They tour colleges and do community service projects.

Jaylaa Stewart, 14, said she has had fun during her first summer at Elon. “I can’t believe the weeks have gone by so fast,” said Stewart, who attends Williams High School.

She has enjoyed the classroom experience, which is quite different from high school, she said. The class size is much smaller, and every student wants to learn. Professors focus on developing students’ critical thinking and writing skills. Students’ work isn’t graded, so they can focus on learning instead of worrying about acing tests.

“It’s a really good environment,” Stewart said.

Brittney Burnette, 17, a rising senior at Williams High, said Elon Academy has helped her be “on the ball” about college and has made her decide that her socioeconomic background won’t be an obstacle. She’ll be the first person in her family to go to college.

Burnette said the social aspects of the program have made a difference, too.

“It’s made me a little more outgoing in meeting new people,” she said.

An important aspect of Elon Academy is that the staff continues to support the scholars throughout the school year, Burnette said.

“Anything we need, they’re always here for us,” she said.

Once a month, the scholars meet for Saturday programs at which they’ll focus on areas such as test taking, interviewing skills and time management. Four times a year, parents attend academy programs.

Last year Burnette used the tutoring center to improve her junior paper, which she aced.

Elon Academy is funded through grants and donations from individuals and businesses. For information, visit www.elon.edu/elonacademy.

Contact Jamie Kennedy Jones at 449-4610 or jkennedy@news-record.com