Local teen, Lanna Kunzelman, has earned her associate degree from Clark State and is on track to earn a bachelor's degree by the time she is finished with high school.
Lanna Kunzelman started taking courses at Clark State Community College at only 12 years old, in the summer before she started 8th grade. The Xenia High School student will receive her Associate of Applied Sciences on May 15 in a virtual ceremony at the age of 14, making her the youngest in Clark State history to achieve that goal. Kunzelman plans to continue her college education at Wright State University, with the goal being to earn her bachelor's degree in biology by the time she finishes high school.
Clark State recently published a news release announcing Kunzelman's achievement in which Clark State President, Dr. Jo Alice Blondin, spoke about the college's youngest graduate. Blondin noted, "Lanna is a unique and outstanding student, and we are very proud that she started at and chose Clark State. We are also grateful to Xenia Schools for their partnership. Lanna is on track to complete her Bachelor's degree—-before she even finishes high school. Clark State provided her with a pathway that offered academic rigor and training and delivered incredible cost savings to her family. Ohio's College Credit Plus is truly a game-changer for students and their families."
College Credit Plus is a dual enrollment program in Ohio that allows students to earn college credit at no cost while in grades 7 through 12. Kunzelman took advantage of this opportunity to enroll at Clark State. As she describes, "I started taking college credit classes as a full-time student when I was still twelve. I feel completely overjoyed that all my hard work has paid off and led to this great accomplishment."
Kunzelman's next move will bring her to Wright State University where she will study biology. Her dream is to attend Harvard Medical School. She says that Clark State provided a good starting point for her to get used to the college experience. Kunzelman expressed her appreciation for her experience by saying, "It can be overwhelming at first, but after all of the help from the advisors at Clark State and everyone else that encouraged and supported me, it became obvious that this is what I was meant to do." She also added, "Clark State gave me an amazing academic advisor who aided me in everything from choosing classes to registration and any questions I had along the way."
Kunzelman also received a lot of support from her parents. She described how her mom would bring her to classes and even learned sign language to help her practice for a class. Her mom, Samantha, said, "We knew she was intelligent from an early age and she continues to astonish us with her perseverance to any obstacle. Lanna will be able to fulfill any dream she wants and we will always be here to support her in any of her crazy ideas."