For the majority of Millbrook seniors, they still have about four months of school left before they can officially call themselves high school graduates. However, there is a group of seniors who can brag about having already graduated from high school. These are Millbrook’s early graduates. Their school year is largely similar to any other Millbrook student. They take their core classes, go to school events, and celebrate whenever there is a teacher work day. However, what makes these seniors different is the initiative they take to be able to graduate early.

  Those who wish to graduate early must have 22 credits by the end of their junior year and on target with NC high school graduation requirements. The majority of early graduates are only taking four classes during their senior year: English IV, Math 4, American History II, and an elective course of their choice. All juniors who wish to participate in becoming an early graduate need to voice their intentions with their counselor before the start of their senior year. They must review their schedule and credit requirements ensuring they are eligible for early graduation.

  There are multiple benefits involved in becoming an early graduate; the main one is opening up the second semester of students’ senior year to pursue activities of their choice. Examples of things students commonly pursue include signing up for dual credit courses through Wake Tech, and taking those over the spring semester free of charge, working, or enlisting in the military.

  Dean of students, Ms. Catherine Brown, said about the early graduates: “Each student that I encountered during this Early Graduation process all had special stories. These students were resilient and persevered during uncharted times and they never gave up.” This is a sentiment echoed by all those who taught the early graduate class of 2022 as they watched these students work hard in their classes, despite spending the last two years of their high school experience in the middle of a pandemic.

  Regardless of where these students plan to go in the future, or what they will do with their lives and careers, everyone at Millbrook wishes them nothing but success along their journey. For the teachers and students who knew them personally, years from now, they might hear of them in a news story, speaking about the great things they have done in the world, while others might look back fondly on their time spent together. Either way, these graduates will forever remember their time at Millbrook and the influence they made on others’ lives as well as the influence others have had on their life. Congratulations to Millbrook’s early graduate class of 2022!