15-year-old graduates from LCCC with AA

By Carrie A. Mizell

Elizabeth Boyles won’t be old enough for a driver’s license until June, but that won’t slow the Trenton High School 11th grader from graduating from Lake City Community College with an associate’s degree on Friday night.
An early college student since her freshman year in high school, Elizabeth is the youngest dual enrollment student to ever graduate from LCCC.
With a 4.0 grade point average at LCCC and THS, Elizabeth will graduate summa cum laude from LCCC with her degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences.
“Graduating from college at 15 years old is a goal that few achieve,” said Sonja Yarbrough, director of public information at Lake City Community College. “She is a remarkable success story.”
A native of San Diego, California, Elizabeth and her family moved to Gilchrist County five years ago. Her love of music, specifically playing the flute and piccolo, led her to join the school band once she started school in Gilchrist County.
After talking with THS Guidance Counselor Mandy NesSmith, Elizabeth started taking dual enrollment classes in 9th grade. She has continued taking dual enrollment classes throughout her high school career by taking four classes during her sophomore year as well as taking one class each summer. Elizabeth said all of her college classes have been online, so she has only had to go over to Lake City’s main campus for meetings.
“The hardest college course I took was probably college algebra and I got like a 90,” Elizabeth said.
The state of Florida’s dual enrollment program pays for college classes and instructional materials for high school students who take college classes early.
Qualified students are able to complete high school graduation requirements while also gaining college credit toward a certificate, diploma or college degree program.
While she is a member of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society at LCCC, she is also actively involved in Trenton High School’s band program and hopes to be the drum major of the marching band her senior year. Currently, she is the vice president of both the THS Beta Club and a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society.
Elizabeth said she is looking forward to her senior year of high school.
“I want to take it easy, apply to college, and maybe get a job,” Elizabeth said. “All I need to get my high school diploma is P.E.”
The girl who credits her mother, Kathleen Dewald, and film director Wes Anderson as her role models, has already scored a 34 on the ACT and plans to take the SAT this summer.
“I want to go to Columbia University and work in sound editing one day because I love film and I love music,” Elizabeth explained.
“I wanted to be a marine biologist for a long time, but then I realized I don’t really like swimming.”