Keniah Washington, a student from Tampa, graduated from Saint Leo University at just 14 years old. She received her liberal arts associate’s degree with a 3.0 GPA in early May. She says she pursued additional courses at a young age because of her love of education.

Washington started taking high school courses when she was in sixth grade. She was placed in a dual-enrollment program while attending Icon Preparatory School and took classes online.

“Once the teachers and staff saw that I was still excelling in my work, they enrolled me and a group of other kids in Saint Leo, and we had a tutor,” she told USA Today.

The 14-year-old skipped high school events such as prom and homecoming to focus on school work.

“My biggest challenge was being on track and not trying to fall behind,” she said. “I was missing out on prom and homecoming − everything other people experienced in high school. But I told myself that… I’m doing the high school courses now so I can finish school early, so it doesn’t really matter if I go to prom. I just kept [encouraging] myself.”

Her mother noted how proud she is of her daughter.

“I was proud, I was excited,” Thomesha Hawkins said about the moment she saw her walk across the stage. “It was a bunch of different emotions that you feel just because it is mind-blowing. She’s done something amazing and great at such a young age.”

Washington plans on attending nursing school in the fall. Her goal is to become a neonatologist.

“It’s a perfect fit for her because she is someone that has a big heart. She loves children,” Hawkins told the news outlet. “The world needs her. The medical field will definitely benefit from her in that field. I know she is going to make a difference.”

The 14-year-old knows she will be the youngest one in the program but she looks forward to experiencing college life and being part of a large community.

“I want to experience working with other people and being in class with a whole room full of people, not just a few kids,” she said. “There is a lot to learn because I’m going to be the youngest one in there. I want to experience college life, living on campus, and other things like that.”

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