Katelyn Boyle attains two college degrees at age 16

Katelyn Boyle has a reserved personality, and she communicates in a tone that is most often soft-spoken. But make no mistake about it, Boyle is courageous and focused; especially where her education and her future are concerned. The Houston County High School senior has been successfully balancing high school classes and college courses at Georgia Military College (GMC) for about three years, and now she’s on the brink of simultaneously receiving her high school diploma and two college degrees.

Her mother, Ms. Javonna Latimore doesn’t hesitate to express her delight in her daughter, who went directly from being a sophomore to being named a high school senior. “She’s my only child. She’s my baby. I raised her as a single mom, but her dad is very involved in her life,” Latimore said, referring to Mr. Antonio Boyle, who serves as a Vice President at Delaware State University. “We’re very proud of Katelyn,” Latimore continued. “She would have been in the eleventh grade this year, but she was able to skip the eleventh grade and go straight to twelfth.” Because of Boyle’s academic excellence, she’s set to graduate alongside schoolmates who otherwise would have been receiving their diplomas a year ahead of her.

Boyle started a dual enrollment program in her freshman year of high school after Latimore said she and her daughter saw something online that caught their attention. “We were just going through [the Internet], and it popped up showing where you can go to high school and college and earn college credits. And with her wanting to be a doctor, we were like, we’d better go ahead and take this opportunity to get a head start.”

Although this is something that almost any satisfactory academic student can pursue (with the approval of their school counselor), Boyle admitted that she only knows a few other students at her school who are taking advantage of the opportunity to get a jump-start on their college career. Perhaps it’s because trying to excel in college and in high school at the same time isn’t at all an easy task. It requires sacrifice and great determination.

“It was a hard transition,” Boyle admitted. “Mostly with my time management and having [to balance] my high school classes, the college classes and all my extracurricular [activities].” Since enrolling at GMC, she has tried to take on as many courses at the college as she could without it negatively affecting her grades. With a current 3.76 GPA, she succeeded. When Boyle first enrolled at GMC, she only took one class per quarter. As her confidence increased, she enrolled in two and sometimes three. Referring to those quarters wherein she took on three classes, Boyle took a deep breath and exclaimed, “It was like, whoa!” There was no denying the challenge, but she persevered.

Associate degrees in Biology and General Studies are what Boyle will be earning at the same time she receives her high school diploma at the end of the 2019-2020 school year. Having already achieved a good portion of her required college credits, she will have shortened what she must complete going forward. “With the doctor that I want to be; a neonatal doctor,” she explained, “they have to go to school for 12 to 14 years. I’ll say that this will knock off two years.”

Latimore’s smile was wide as she described her daughter. “She’s an overachiever and a perfectionist,” she began. “She’s a hard worker, she’s humble, she’s quiet, she’s sweet and she loves learning.” As much as Boyle enjoys helping children, Latimore admitted that at one time she hoped her only child would grow up to be a teacher. “I was kind of surprised that she wanted to be a doctor, but she loves helping kids, and she loves babies. She was premature,” Latimore revealed, “so with her wanting to be a neonatal doctor, she just wants to give back.”

Boyle was born on August 26, 2003—two months earlier than she was due to make her entrance into the world. At birth, she only weighed three pounds and 14 ounces, and according to Latimore, doctors told them (mom and dad) that their daughter would always be two years behind. They were wrong. Today, being just weeks away from graduating both high school and college at the age of 16, Latimore says Boyle is now considered three years ahead.

Although Boyle has her sights set on her future as a physician, she has been very involved in her high school experience. While she has excelled in her studies, Boyle’s school participation goes far beyond books. “I’ve been in the marching band for three years, playing alto sax,” she explained, “and I’ve been a section leader for two of those years. I’m in Student Council, I’m an officer in FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America), and I’m on the Yearbook [staff].” Boyle was also her sophomore class president.

Regarding being called an overachiever, Boyle agrees. “I always feel like there’s room for improvement in whatever I do.” Once Boyle decides to accomplish something, it seems there’s no stopping her. But the one thing she hasn’t decided yet is where she will enroll as a full-time college student. “I’ve been applying for some scholarships,” she said, ultimately admitting that she’d like to get her start at either Kennesaw, Columbus, or Valdosta State University.

Boyle said she’d like to be a role model for others. “Anybody can do what I’m doing,” she said. “So for people to say, ‘Oh, if she achieved it, I can do it as well,’ that’s what I’m looking forward to.”

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