This Ohio Teen Makes History, Graduates College Before Finishing High School

A high school junior in Warrensville Heights, Ohio, is the youngest student from the school district to graduate from Cuyahoga Community College. This was done all while still being in high school.

Cameron Ray graduated on December 17, 2019, with an associate degree in arts via the Ohio College Credit Plus (CCP) program, which allows high school students to earn college credits at community colleges.

According to the CCP website, “The purpose of this program is to promote rigorous academic pursuits and to provide a wide variety of options to college-ready students. Taking a college course from a public college or university College Credit Plus is free. That means no cost for tuition, books, or fees if you attend public school in the state of Ohio.”

“Everyone is usually pretty surprised when I tell them I’m only a junior in high school,” Ray said, according to an article on the Warrensville Heights City School District website.

Ray doesn’t graduate until 2021, but he already has his sights set on studying film at Cleveland State University, where he hopes to pursue his dream of being a director.

After lots of hard work and discipline, WHHS student Cameron Ray on Dec. 17 became the youngest Warrensville student ever to graduate from @TriCedu–well before he is set to graduate high school in 2021. Visit our website to read his story: https://t.co/vVd3gdZu0e #TigerPride pic.twitter.com/7WwBFRT3Nn

— Warrensville Schools (@whcs_tigers) December 18, 2019

“I’ve learned that sometimes it’s the best things in life you’ll be fearful of,” Ray added. “But you’ve got to push yourself and get acquainted.”

Ray said the only person he could find who graduated college at his age was the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and “that is something I’m especially proud of.”

In 1944, King graduated from Booker T. Washington High School and was admitted to Morehouse College at the age of 15.