14-year-old Anita Bennett made history a few months ago this year when she walked the stage to receive her third degree at the Cuyahoga Community College.
She was met with rapturous applause as she received her associate of science degree, graduating summa cum laude.
The most fascinating part of young Bennett’s story was that she was receiving that third degree while still in her first year in high school.
Reports say Bennet has promised that she doesn’t plan on stopping her history-making achievements in academia.
According to ABC News 5 Cleveland, Bennett has ambitious plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree while still completing her high school journey, thanks in part to Ohio’s dual enrollment program College Credit Plus (CCP).
This program enables Bennett to concurrently take high school and college courses, providing students with a glimpse into the demands of higher education.
During her freshman year at Ohio Connections Academy, the 14-year-old scholar from Northeast Ohio achieved both an associate of arts and associate technical studies in child care administration and management through CCP.
Bennett, speaking about the importance of a positive mindset, said:
“When you don’t know about college, that kind of stuff, it can seem really, really hard, and it could seem impossible at times. But just knowing that if you put your mind to it, you can do it, and that the sky’s the limit and you create your own boundaries.”
Her determination is deeply rooted in her family’s commitment to education and hard work.
Bennett’s older sisters initiated their college courses at the ages of 13 and 11, respectively.
However, it’s her mother’s relentless pursuit of maintaining a successful business that serves as a significant source of inspiration for the 14-year-old, propelling her to exceed expectations.
Reflecting on her mother’s accomplishments, Bennett expressed:
“Seeing my mother and how hard she worked and how she got her business running and how successful it was really inspired me to go into that field as well. And I’ve always had a passion and a love for children, so I knew I wanted to do something like that with my life. So seeing her already have a successful business, it only makes sense to me to take over that when I get older since I wanted to work in the childcare industry as well.
