17-year-old Cameron Ray just defied the educational odds. The Ohio teen managed to graduate college before he's even out of high school, making history in his hometown of Warrensville Heights. Though Cameron is still a junior in high school, he recently became the youngest student from Warrensville to earn a college degree before officially graduating high school after he earned his Associate’s degree from Cuyahoga Community College. Though he won't be graduating high school until the spring of 2021, Cameron plans to attend Cleveland State University next semester to pursue his dream of becoming a film director.
Cameron was able to accomplish this impressive feat by enrolling in college early thanks to a special program called Ohio College Credit Plus. The program was implemented back in 2015 in order to allow students in grades 7 through 12 to earn college credits. Ohio families have benefitted greatly from this program, which has saved them more than $569 million in tuition and prepares students more thoroughly for their future careers. Cameron spoke about his exceptional accomplishment, saying, "Everyone is usually pretty surprised when I tell them I’m only a junior in high school. I’ve learned that sometimes it’s the best things in life you’ll be fearful of. But you’ve got to push yourself and get acquainted." Preach!