Graduating a year early takes a lot of commitment and only a few students were up for the challenge. Students Taylor Thomas, Kris Rineheart, and Kayleigh Cress made the big leap, deciding to join the 2024 graduating class. Still having to earn the 26 credits and take the required classes, including your pathway, takes meticulous planning in order to graduate early.  

You can earn some of these credits in middle school or take dual enrollment classes at Harford Community College. Kris Rineheart took two foods classes in one year to complete his pathway and Kayleigh Cress took an English class over the summer to complete her English credit requirement.  

But how does the workload stack up against a traditional 8 classes per year?   

Kris Rineheart said that “the workload is not nearly as bad as [he] had expected it to be,” and Kayleigh Cress agreed, adding that “the workload is a little bit more than normal… but it’s nothing [she] can’t handle.”  

All of these students agree that the workload shouldn’t scare you if you consider graduating early and if you put in the work, “with the correct resources, it becomes easier to manage over time,” says Taylor Thomas. 

So, how and why did they make the decision to graduate early?   

For Kris Rineheart, graduating early ran in the family with his two older sisters graduating early as well. “I plan on going into the workforce after I graduate to get started earlier,” said Kris Rineheart, planning on working for Hamel Builders.  

For Kayleigh Cress, she saw this opportunity as a way to stand apart from other college applicants. Since she took all the classes she wanted to take over her three years at Fallston, it was a no-brainer.  

Taylor Thomas also had designed her classes since her freshman year to be able to graduate early saying, “I have known the career path I wanted to take since freshman year.” 

Is all the extra work and added stress worth it?  

“The extra work is definitely worth the reward,” says Kayleigh Cress.  

While it is extra work compared to the four years, “in the end, you can say that you’ve accomplished all that needed to be done in order to achieve your dreams,” says Taylor Thomas, and Kris Rineheart added, “so why not take the opportunity?” 

Do you have any advice for anyone following your path? 

Taylor Thomas said to “stay consistent with all of your schoolwork and have fun as well,” and Kris Rineheart said to “get your work done, pay attention, and basically just do school how you’ve been doing it.”  

Basically, senioritis cannot hit in your last year of high school, since this is a special opportunity. You need to continue to work hard and dedicate yourself to school. 

“If you’re thinking about seriously doing this, talk with your parents first, then your counselor, and if all are in agreement, go for it!” said Kayleigh Cress. “It’s definitely a big change but I am so excited for my future endeavors.”  

Kris Rineheart ended saying, “This opportunity is definitely something that I’m grateful for, despite how it may feel sometimes. The harsh truth is that we all have to grow up eventually, I just got an early start.”