Republican-Eagle: Graduating from college before high school

By Katryn Conlin for the Red Wing Republican-Eagle
May 22, 2024

Alice Harnly always wanted to walk alongside her peers at Red Wing High School's 2024 commencement ceremony, but she chose a very different pathway to graduation. She's already a college graduate!

"I grew up here, I've lived here all my life, I love the bluff country, and Red Wing holds a lot of memories," she said. "I always wanted to graduate from Red Wing High School."

But before graduating from high school, she participated in Minnesota State College Southeast's Commencement Ceremony at Winona State University on May 10. 

As a PSEO student, Alice earned an associate of arts degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences at Southeast.

It all began in 2019, when she enrolled in IQ Academy Minnesota, a public school online option, as an 8th grader. She was fortunate to be ahead of the curve with online learning when the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020. 

"When I started IQ Academy, I discovered I can be a really good online student," she said. "I am academically driven as an individual. I don't have to be around a lot of people to be encouraged. I like to challenge myself as a student."

However, she took a different track in 11th grade, enrolling at Minnesota State College Southeast as a PSEO student. She continued taking classes online, coming to campus occasionally for tutoring sessions and in-person meetings.

She started as an individualized studies student but changed her major to liberal arts because the associate of arts degree would transfer seamlessly to a four-year university.

Her planning paid off. Her credits fully transferred, and this fall she will start at Winona State University as a junior, majoring in Elementary Education K-6.

One of the biggest challenges she encountered was making sure she earned enough college credits, and the right types of credits, to graduate from high school at the same time as college. 

Working carefully with her advisors at the college and counselors at the high school, Alice aligned her college classes and high school credits successfully.

In the process, she said that she learned, "You have to be your own advocate in education. Southeast really is an empowering environment. The advisors didn't just go through it and do it all for me, they taught me how to register for my classes, so I understood how the system works."

She added, "In the college setting, they treat you more as an adult, as an equal." 

Excelling as a college student

Alice excelled at Southeast. She graduated with high honors and was elected to Phi Theta Kappa, the international honors society for students at associate degree-granting colleges. 

But she said earning an online college degree as a high school student is not easy. "Know your limits -- it's a very challenging path," she advised. "My classes took a tremendous amount of time and I pushed myself rigorously. You have to have a strong work ethic. Know ahead of time that you can work as an individual."

One of her college instructors, Elizabeth Micheel, commented, "Even though Alice and I interacted only in the virtual setting, she made an impression on me with her excellent communication skills.  She is a focused individual, striking the perfect balance between being professional and personable in all her interactions."

Alice is excited to start at Winona State next year, where she'll be living in the dorms. "Even though I'll be a junior academically, I will be taking a freshman orientation class. I'm looking forward to the on-campus experience."

She's also looking forward to 2026, when she'll be participating in a commencement ceremony yet again, this time from Winona State University. "It was special that I was able to be part of the Southeast ceremony at WSU, knowing that in just two more years, I'll be back in the same place when I graduate from Winona State!"

Photo Captions: 

Above: Alice Harnly at Minnesota State College Southeast's Commencement Ceremony on May 10, 2024. Her gold stole and cord represent graduating with high honors as a member of Phi Theta Kappa. 

Below: Alice  lined up with other students to cross the stage at Minnesota State College Southeast's Commencement Ceremony on May 10, 2024.