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Summer school and full course loads help early grads
Graduating from high school
at age 16 is an
accomplishment not achieved
by many seniors.
But summer school and a
full course load for three years
has enabled Tara Taylor to
skip the 11th grade.
Tara, one of four such
students this year . explained
the most frequently asked
question . " Why?"
" I wanted to graduate a
year early," was Tara's simple
reason , while Kim Prestridge
found that taking some of the
required courses during the
summer would relieve the
pressures of her senror year .
Much thought and future
preparatton were the basis for
Everett Tolbird's decision to
advance. " I wanted to get
into college early," said
Everett, "because there are so
many people going into the
166/Seniors
Savana, Susan
Schuyler, Doug
Scott, Leslie
Self, Rota
Sewell, Craig
Shackelford,
Rob~n
Shaffer. Mark
Shavers, Mochael
Shaw, Tamo
Sheppard, Michelle
Shoelds, Alan
Sikes, Nancy
Sompkons, Vicki
Sompson, Rodney
Soms. Sandra
field of business. and I want
to get a head start. "
Tongee Smith viewed the
t.
idea in a different perspective
altogether. "I only needed
11/2credits, she said.
Parents provided both
encouragement and
discouragement for the four .
but the increase in privileges
both at school and at home
helped each make the
decision.
Junior activities were not
missed, but each had at least
one regret ranging from "I
missed junror English, " to "I
won 't graduate with the
people I grew up with ."
It was a hard decision for
each to make, but after much
contemplation the reliefs
outweighed the regrets, and
each expressed much pride in
being a "senior of
·so."
Tafa Taylor explains her reasons for an early graduation.