At 12 years old, Fiona Currie became the youngest person to graduate from LA City College.
She began taking college classes at the start of the pandemic. The Palmdale resident was only 9 years old, but her parents wanted her to use her time well.
“It began at the start of the COVID pandemic, because the schools were closing and they were turning to online learning, and we found that the school district was not really able to provide online learning," said Roderick Currie.
It was then when Fiona’s parents decided to start homeschooling,
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"Around that same time we found out that elementary students can also take college classes," Currie said.
However, Fiona’s parents did not expect her to graduate from college.
“We never thought that she was going to graduate. We only wanted her to be busy with something, because she had a lot of free time," said mother Blanca.
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Fiona was serious with her studies. Three years later, Fiona took the stage to receive an Associate Degree. She was also on the Dean’s list and had a 4.0 GPA.
Moreover, on June 6, she became the youngest person to ever graduate from LA City College.
“I was so shocked when they gave me a standing ovation for being the youngest student to ever graduate in the history of L A City college," she said.
She graduated with a degree in Arts and her dream is to work at a big company in animation.
"My favorite class was digital art and I just loved it so much because I could get to experiment with using tools like Photoshop to create different digital artworks," Fiona said.
LA City College said in a statement that the school is “so proud of her, and we are excited she is returning to LACC to pursue another degree in fall."
Currie recommended that if their children are doing “very well in school and need some supplemental education, then it's a great opportunity to enroll in some college classes by taking college classes. They can apply that credit towards high school, so it's a great program."
Fiona is planning to continue her studies at a college level while she also enjoys her time playing with her younger sister and doing things a 12-year-old loves doing. But she is also determined to chase her dreams.
“No goal is too big, not too small, as long as it's your goal and you work towards it, and if you believe that you can do it, you can do it," she said.
