Christina Pacheco roams the halls knowing it’s her last year here. Graduating as a junior is something she is proud of. Her work put in getting a chance to walk across the stage early wasn’t a simple thing.

“I feel that I’ve done a lot because it wasn’t easy,” Pacheco said. “I did summer school, and I’m very excited that I am getting to graduate a whole year early.”

Getting to get out of high school early wasn’t Pacheco’s only reason, there’s one thing that made her take this opportunity, and it was her only and only sister.

“It was because I wanted to graduate with my sister, and we both want to start college together since we both want to major in the same degree,” Pacheco said. “That way we can be together and help each other out.”

Pacheco plans on going straight to college after graduation and get a degree in either business or law school.

“I will start college in the fall right after my graduation, I’m planning to go to TCC (Tarrant County College) for my basics and then major at UTA (University of Texas at Arlington),” Pacheco said.

According to Pacheco, she found out that she was able to graduate at the end of her sophomore year and isn’t required to do the 4×4 course requirement with the rest of her class’s graduation. She takes part of the senior graduation plan.

“I went to my counselor and they told me that I could graduate early because I had enough credits,” Pacheco said. “But I had to take summer school for Government and Economics.”

As an early graduate, Pacheco shares an advice to the others that are graduating early.

“I want to encourage them to not skip classes, do their work, focus and mostly try their hardest,” Pacheco said.

Pacheco thinks it’s not awkward to be the youngest one in her college class, she thinks of it as lucky because she’s a year younger and is going to finish college a year younger.

“I’ve put a lot of work into school knowing it will be worth it in the end,” Pacheco said.