Claire Helmick, a student at Colorado Mountain College’s West Garfield campus in Rifle, checks on a vial of fruit flies Thursday in biology class. A Rifle firefighter, Helmick said she’d like to eventually pursue a four-year degree in fire science. But she has three children and said she wouldn’t be able to move elsewhere for schooling. If Colorado Mountain College could offer a four-year degree program, “it would definitely help,” Helmick said.