Teen Gets College Degree Just 6 Months After Graduating from High School: ‘I’m Speechless’

A 19-year-old in Wisconsin has earned her college degree only six months after finishing high school.

Elena Talingo graduated from Green Bay’s Preble High School in the spring, and she now holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay (UW–Green Bay), according to Fox affiliate WLUK.

“It’s definitely — I’m not going to say surprising. I’m just … I feel accomplished. I’m just speechless. Like, I actually did it,” Elena said with a smile while speaking to the outlet.

Elena completed her accelerated degree through the Rising Phoenix Program, a UW–Green Bay initiative that allows students to earn college credits while still in high school. She began taking college-level classes through the program in 2023 and had already accumulated 132 college credits before she ever arrived on campus.

“I had a different college experience, obviously, and a high school experience, but I really think it was worth — I think it was worth my degree,” Elena told WLUK. “It’s just, I really valued my college. I really valued my education and I just went for it.”

The accelerated program saved Elena and her family an estimated $80,000 in tuition, books, and other fees.

“I’m going to be somewhat more financially stable compared to the other average graduate. So, I don’t have that idea on the back of my mind of, ‘Oh, I have to pay this loan,’ and I’m not struggling financially in any way,” she told the outlet.

Elena earned her degree in supply-chain management and already has a job lined up with Honeywell Aerospace in Minneapolis through its Aerospace Development program, according to a university press release. While completing her coursework, she also took on two back-to-back internships in her chosen field.

“If something matters to you, you make the time,” she said. “That’s why I don’t stop at one goal — there’s always more to do.”

When asked what advice she would share with students hoping to do something similar, Elena encouraged them to stay open to every possibility, according to the press release.

“Take every opportunity you can,” she said. “Ask questions, build connections, and never underestimate yourself. Rejection isn’t failure — it’s redirection.”