Senior on Track to Get Bachelor’s Degree at 18

Can't see the video? View it here.
When Melody Delatorre was a sophomore, she had a mission: to graduate with an associate degree while still in high school.

The Mansfield High School student visited her counselor to discuss her plans and became laser-focused to earn at least 60 college credits before graduation.

“She could take up to three dual credit courses per semester, so we just mapped out what three she was going to take in her junior year and what three she was going to take in her senior year, “ said Mansfield High School counselor Monica Dabney.

To put her education on a faster track, Delatorre also took courses at Tarrant County College (TCC) on her own after school. She took no breaks and continued taking courses in the summer and winter.

Delatorre met with her counselor to map out her graduation plan.

The senior graduated with her associate degree from TCC on May 12. She will walk across the stage to get her high school diploma on May 25.

“It was really cool knowing I was getting my associate degree before my high school diploma,” said Delatorre. “It took a lot of work and sacrifice. I didn’t always have time to be with my friends, but I’m glad I did it. I feel accomplished and proud.”

“I cannot even describe how proud I am of her,” Dabney added. “She is such a driven student and highly independent, so I was just elated to hear that she had competed her associate’s degree.”

The 17-year-old said she will take summer classes at the University of Texas at Arlington.

She said she won’t take any breaks and hopes to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in biology in May 2019. Her goal is to become a doctor.

“I want to become a doctor because I like helping people, and I like being able to make a difference in people’s lives,” Delatorre explained.

For those wanting to follow in her educational path, the senior’s advice is simple. She said, “just go.”

MISD Senior Graduating with Associate Degree

Cobb graduated from TCC on May 16.

It’s graduation weekend at Mansfield ISD; and for one senior, it’ll be the second time within a month that she crossed the stage.

Frontier High School’s Brianna Cobb earned her associate degree before officially receiving her high school diploma.

She was able to accomplish the academic feat through Frontier’s Tarrant County College Trinity River East Campus (TREC) program. The program allows health science students an opportunity to earn 42 dual credit college hours and a certification.

The 18-year-old joined TREC in her junior year. She said it was a big goal to set for herself and admits that the road wasn’t easy.

“It was frustrating at times,” she explained. “Sometimes I wanted to give up because of the workload.”

Cobb took 17 college hours last semester. She said that she didn’t have much time for extracurricular activities in her junior or senior year, but knew that her end game was more important.

“I kept telling myself that it’ll be worth it, and it was so worth it. I’m so glad I stuck with it,” she continued. “I’m still in shock. When I think about it, I’m like ‘Wow! I did it!’”

The graduate plans to enroll at the University of North Texas this fall to earn her bachelor’s degree. She wants to become a cosmetic surgeon or an obstetrician/gynecologist (OB/GYN).

“I’d tell anyone who wants to do what I did to persevere,” she said. “It can get stressful, but don’t give up. Believe in yourself.”

For more information about MISD’s TREC program, visit the Frontier High School counseling center webpage.

High School Senior Graduates at 15 Years Old

Donyea Grayson is just like any other high school student. She stays active in school, keeps up with her grades, and likes to hang out with her friends.

She’s excited to cross the stage this June on graduation day, but she won’t be able to drive herself to the event.

In fact, she can’t drive anywhere at all by herself because she’s only 15 years old.

“My friends forget that I’m this young,” said Grayson. “I started high school when I was 12, but I’m lucky that I had my older brother there with me so that he can sort of protect me.”

As a child, Grayson skipped two grade levels. She’s used to being the youngest in her class and said that it pushed her to be a stronger person and work even harder.

“It helped build my character because early on, it was hard for the kids to accept me since I was younger,” the 15-year-old recalled. “I pushed myself to prove to my teachers and classmates that I did belong in that class.”

Grayson is involved in many organizations at Lake Ridge High School. She was on the Academic Decathlon team, cheerleading squad, and a member of the National Honor Society.

Her momentum won't stop when she graduates.

She will be attending The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the fall with hopes of majoring in psychology and eventually going to law school. She was admitted into the UCLA Academic Advancement Program (AAP) and made the UCLA Cheer Squad of 10 females.


“I essentially gave up two years of childhood for two years of adulthood,” said Grayson, who expressed excitement for her future. “I would do it all again because it shaped me to be who I am today.”

Phoenix Academy Graduate Shares Success Story

Phoenix Academy graduate Amber Fewell returns to the campus
to visit the staff that helped her.

When Amber Fewell became pregnant as a high school junior at age 17, she said a lot of people told her she would not be able to earn her diploma. She missed an entire semester of her senior year after having her baby, but was determined to still graduate on time.

“Everyone I talked to would say, ‘You can’t do that! You missed too much school, and you have a daughter to take care of now,’” Fewell recalls. “I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I needed help.”

Her help came in the form of Mansfield ISD’s Phoenix Academy. She finished a year’s worth of credit in one semester.

“The Phoenix Academy offered a lot of resources that kept me motivated. I had one-on-one attention, and a mentor mother came in to talk to me about school-life balance. Being able to talk about my situation was very helpful,” said Fewell.

Just as planned, Fewell received her diploma with her peers. She described crying in disbelief and being proud that she was able to reach her goal no matter how many doubters there were.

“That was the moment I realized there was no stopping me,” said the recent graduate.

Fewell currently works in the healthcare industry and has dreams to become a trauma nurse, and later a CareFlite nurse. She said she’s been taking care of others as early as 10 years old—when her grandfather was diagnosed with melanoma cancer. And when he later passed away, she began looking after her grandmother who was severely diabetic.

With her foot in the right direction, Fewell wants others to remember two simple words that saved her at her lowest moments.

“You can. No matter how many people say you can’t, you can. Keep telling yourself that all the time."

MISD Seniors Graduating with Diploma and College Degree

Jaeidah Reed (left) and Yesenia Day (right) looking forward
to graduation day.

As two Frontier High School seniors walk across the stage on graduation day, they’ll go back to their seats knowing they only have two more years to go until they earn their bachelor’s degree.

That’s because Yesenia Day and Jaeidah Reed have earned enough credits to obtain a diploma and an associate degree in June.

The 17-year-olds are part of Frontier High School’s TCC Trinity River East Campus (TREC) Program, which allows juniors and seniors to take college courses and earn certifications in the health profession.

Day and Reed will readily admit the journey was hectic and difficult at times.

“It’s not a hand out, and you have to really plan it out to make it happen,” said Day, who is also valedictorian of her Frontier High class. “You just need to be committed.”

“You have to be able to handle leaving your tradition school setting. There are no bands, no sports, and not a lot of extracurricular activities,” said Reed.

But for them, the hard work was well worth it.

Day will test to get certified as a pharmacy, electrocardiogram (EKG), and medical billing/coding technician. Reed is studying for her pharmacy technician, EKG, and emergency medical technician (EMT) certifications.

The two friends both plan to go into the medical field—Day as an orthopedic surgeon and Reed as a trauma surgeon.

“There’s a lot of school ahead for us, so getting our associate degree and hopefully our certifications will cut down some of that time and money,” said Reed.

Reed plans to take a semester at sea through the University of Virginia before she enrolls at Southern Methodist University. Day will be heading out to Santa Clara University in the fall on a full scholarship.

“Everyone has the opportunity to do what we did,” said Day. “You just have to be proactive.”

Two MISD Seniors Receive Big Scholarships

As the end of the school year approaches, seniors have two things on their minds—graduation and scholarships.

Watch the stories of two Mansfield ISD students—Brady Moore from Legacy High school and Lizzy Hennessey from Timberview High School—to hear in their own words how they won their generous scholarships in a very competitive field.

It's not too late to find financing for college. View tips to help you pay for college.