By sacrificing nearly all of her free time this year, she has managed to maintain 5 AP classes, 4 online courses, and a staggering 4.7 GPA. Why, you ask? To graduate a year early and pursue a higher education in her home country of England, of course.

What made you decide to graduate early?

For the past few years, I have been looking into college in England. By chance, I came across a school that looked like an absolute dream. I knew I’ve always wanted to work with animals, specifically horses, and this college had a specialized equine program. While I was visiting this summer, I was able to visit and fell even more in love. The specific point which made me decide to graduate early was actually the death of my grandmother. I was extremely close to my grandparents, but it has been extremely difficult to be so far away. I wasn’t able to say my goodbyes because her sickness took her before I could make it over to England. This made me realize how vital the time I got to spend with my granddad is, and I want to be with him as much as I possibly can because I didn’t get that opportunity with my grandmother.

What made you so drawn to animals/specifically horses?

Ever since I was very little, I have been drawn to animals. As soon as I could walk, I would follow around cats and dogs and have to pet every animal I saw. I also loved farms which is where I believe my love for horses originated from. Anytime there were pony rides, I would want to know the name of all the ponies and meet every single one. I started taking lessons at 5 and still do today. Now I spend all the little free time I have at the barn. This summer I plan to show again and work at my barn.

How are you able to graduate early with only three years? What extra work have you had to do in order to do this?

I had to double up on some subjects which required taking senior classes. I needed US History and a government credit, so I had to take them at the same time. I also did this with AP Lang and an additional semester English courses. I had to take AP Macro as well because I didn’t have a consumer credit either. On top of that, I had to take 4 courses online to make up for the missing credits.

What were some of the greatest changes you’ve faced this year (academically, socially, etc)

I have had to make a lot of sacrifices in order to complete my work. Academically, I challenged myself with 5 AP classes. UK schools go off of AP credit, so I had to try to cram all of the classes into one year. I have taken honor courses before, but the workload has never been this vigorous; it isn’t unusual to get 5-6 hours of homework a night. Socially, I rarely ever get to spend time with my friends or even my family. I’m usually working on some sort of school work around the clock. I have classes with mostly seniors as well, so it’s been strange not having a single friend in class.

What does an average day look like for you?

I try to get to school by 7 a.m., so I have an hour in the morning to work on the homework that I wasn’t able to complete. Throughout the school day, I squeeze assignments into passing periods in order to get a head start. I spend my half lunch period in the IRC to get more work done. Usually, I will stay after school until 6-7 p.m. to work on homework because I am more focused than when I go home.

What online courses are you taking? What is the level of difficulty in comparison to the rest of your classes?

I didn’t want classes that would be overly difficult because I am already taking 5 AP classes. I found the classes to be easy, but still time consuming. I still had to complete assignments, participate in online discussions, take tests and finals. I fell behind a lot of the time because homework from AP classes was more important, so I did a lot of cram session during the weekends, winter break and spring break.

Keira’s 2015-2016 Schedule:

Semester 1: U.S. History, Argument & Debate, AP Government, AP Statistics, ALF, AP Lang, Half a lunch, AP Biology

Semester 2: U.S. History, Contemporary Fiction, AP Macroeconomics, AP Statistics, Outdoor Adventure, AP Lang, Half a lunch, AP Biology

Online Courses: Psychology, Parenting, Career Planning, Photography

What have you learned about yourself through this year? What are you taking away from all of the work you’ve done?

I had no idea what I was capable of until this year. Not only has it been academically challenging, but I’ve had to find new ways to motivate myself and stay disciplined. I have never worked so hard in my life, and it has given me a point to look back on. If I am ever frustrated or feel like giving up in the future, and can always think back to this year and how I got myself through it.

How you do push yourself through your worst days?

There have been many days where I have felt like giving up and broken down from the amount of stress. The most important thing I would tell myself is that this is only temporary.

Are you getting any senior perks?

I am still technically considered a junior, so I don’t get to park in the senior lot, have a lunch release, exempt from finals, etc.

What are your plans for next year? What do you hope to do in the future?

I plan to head to England next fall where I will be taking a gap year. I am looking forward to spending time with family and having some down time. I would like to get a job and I have the opportunity to shadow one of the greatest veterinary physiotherapists in the UK.

Anything else you’d like to add about graduating early?

The most important takeaway from this year would be how fortunate I am to have such a supportive family and friends who have helped me throughout the way. I honestly don’t think I could have gotten this far without them. They have been completely understanding with my schoolwork schedule, and I am very thankful to have such wonderful people in my life.

What is the dream school you are describing in the first question? How far are you in terms of actually being committed/what does that process look like for your specific case?

I’m currently looking at two different schools. The one that I originally found was Hartpury College in Cheltenham. After becoming more interested in attending school in the UK, I did more research and found Writtle College in Essex. Writtle has become my first choice because it has an integrated masters program for veterinary physiotherapy which means I could have a masters degree in just 4 years.

Are you worried about making the move to England? What do you think will be the most challenging part of the transition?

Yes and no. I used to live there when I was little and I have been back several times to visit. I alsohave family out there, so I have familiar settings. I was also there for the whole summer, so I know how to use the transportation and where everything is located. As with going to any new place, I will have to make new friends and establish a new life there. I do have some worries, but I am excited more than anything. The most challenging part of the transition will definitely be leaving my family. Not only will I be going off to college, but I will be in a different country. Going home for the weekends or for breaks becomes more difficult with the increased distance.

Who is the veterinary physiotherapist you’ve mentioned? Where do they work? Would you like to work there one day?

Iain Pringuer is the osteopathic (this is very similar to physiotherapy) therapist that I hope to shadow. I haven’t actually met him in person, but he is the therapist for family friends who have horses. Once I go over to study, he said he could help me with gaining experience in the field. Pringuer has his own practice with fellow osteopathic therapist Stuart McGregor. Osteo/physiotherapists tend to build up their own practices, so there isn’t exactly a company that I would work for. My goal would be to build my own business for equine and canine physiotherapy.

Gallery • 6 Photos

Keira Wingader

Keira and her grandmother