Michaele Bryant is not the average Bainbridge High School senior, in fact when she walked across the stage Thursday night she already had a college diploma.

Bryant was a sophomore in high school when a speaker came to discuss the college’s move on when ready program, where high school students can take college classes and receive high school and college credit.

Bryant was intrigued by the idea, but wasn’t sure she was ready for a full load of college classes on top what seemed like a grueling amount of work. The summer before her junior year she decided to test the program out by taking two elective classes to make sure this was something she could handle.

Once she completed the two courses and decided it was something she was interested in, she took a full course load every semester, until this year.

Bryant said the course work was about the same as high school, but it took more determination and work ethic.

“In high school your teachers are babying you and making sure you get your work done, but in college you’re self reliant and you have to tell yourself to do your work,” she said.

Bryant encourages other students her age to do this, as long as they can stay focused and put the work into it, so they can finish college early.

Bryant graduated with an Associate of Arts degree on May 10 from Bainbridge State College. She already has two years under her belt, but she said it hasn’t really hit her yet. She thinks once graduation passes and she has time to really think about it, she may realize all of the accomplishments she’s made in such a short time.

Bryant hopes all the work she has put in will be of service to her when she attends ABAC in Tifton in the fall. Although she will graduate in only two years, she said she thinks she will have made so many connections that she will hopefully have a job in her major of agribusiness. However, she has plenty of time to look, while her classmates are still in school.