Sheldon, Iowa — A Sheldon student has achieved a feat few people have been able to pull off. She graduated from a college program before graduating from high school.
Northwest Iowa Community College officials tell us that on Friday, May 16, Sheldon High School senior Valerie Cook crossed the stage at NCC to receive her Associate of Arts degree. Just over a week later, on Sunday, May 25, she walked again—this time at her high school graduation.
NCC officials say it’s a remarkable accomplishment — one that marks the end of an extraordinary journey and the beginning of an exciting new chapter.
Cook will go on to complete a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and secondary education, which she’ll begin studying this fall at Iowa State University. NCC tells us Cook has also been accepted into the Honors Program at ISU and plans to study abroad as part of her college experience.
Juggling both high school and college coursework was no small feat. For instance, during her sophomore and junior years, she had eight class periods a day plus three online college classes.
