A teen is doing something that sounds almost impossible to most people as she graduates from college before holding her high school diploma. Is it possible? Raven Osborne from Indiana proves that it is.
Graduating College Before Graduating High School?
It's true, for most people, their educational story is simple. It begins with kindergarten, then onto elementary and secondary education. From there, the high school diploma is usually the ticket to applying for and entering college.
However, one persistent teen from Indiana, Raven Osborne, has decided to write her own educational story because she will be graduating from college two weeks before she graduates from high school.
It does sound a little far-fetched, but through the help of her school, encouragement from her mother, and her own feisty persistence, Raven was able to pursue both a high school and a college education at the same time, and at no cost.
Now that she is graduating both high school and getting her bachelor's degree in sociology in the same month, Raven's next journey will be teaching at the very school that gave her the chance to do the seemingly unattainable.
Middle College
The process that gave Raven the opportunity to attain two milestones at once is through her school's Middle College program. Her school, 21st Century Charter School at Gary, offers their students the opportunity to achieve their academic potential by partnering with colleges in close proximity, making college education a reachable option for their students.
These partnerships give qualified students the opportunity to take real college courses for real college credits at no cost even as they are completing their high school requirements.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Osborne took classes at a community college, where she earned her associates degree in general studies, but with encouragement from her mother and the school's president, she went above and beyond by going for a full bachelor's degree through online and summer classes.
Beating The Odds
At 18 years old, Raven Osborne is the first student in the school's history to receive her bachelor's degree while still enrolled as a high school student. What's even more fascinating is that Raven was diagnosed with a learning disability when she was younger.
"When I was a younger, I was labeled with a learning disability, but my mother always told me I could do whatever I wanted to do in life," said Raven in a 2016 interview.
Raven Osborne's incredible achievement shows that through persistence and hard work, even something that seems so far-fetched can be achieved.
