Dothan high schooler set to make history
DOTHAN, Ala (WDHN) — History is on the horizon for Dothan city schools as a 12th grader at Dothan High School, will walk across the stage as the youngest student since the merging of two schools, graduating at 15.
'It feels good, but it's also a lot. However, I feel like if you have a good support system that will be there for you, then I will be okay,' said 15-year-old Darinda Beacham.
Beacham was in public school at Kelly Springs up until the 5th grade. She went virtual for sixth and 7th grades at Dothan Virtual School, and then, around the COVID pandemic era in 2022, she got ahead of the curve in the Acellus homeschool program. She was able to complete core courses like English, math, and science for the 9th through 12th grades in about a year and a half.
Beacham's mothers, Courtney and Ariel Dorsey, told WDHN about their daughter's lightning speed at schoolwork.
'As she kept going through the program, we were like you were moving fast, and that's because she was able to work at the speed she needed to work at, versus the traditional school. She didn't have any breaks. We would travel, and she would still be doing schoolwork,' said Courtney Dorsey.
'We ran the same thing track like they do in a public school, we did the same thing at home,' Ariel Dorsey said.
In the middle of August last year, she transferred to Dothan High.
'I wanted to do that so I could experience my last year with others, so I can be what public school is like and maybe learn new things I may not have learned,' said Beacham.
Although her parents are surprised she gets to graduate early, they say she has always had a gift of learning fast at a young age.
'It didn't matter what it was, cooking, cleaning, baking, anything she could learn, she enjoyed it,' said Courtney Dorsey.
Now, in just a few weeks, the timely learning will pay off, as she will cross the stage before heading to Florida A&M this fall, where she hopes to become a pediatrician.
'It took a lot of self-discipline, a support system, and determination to accomplish what I did. I'm excited and nervous about this next adventure,' said Beacham.
It will be mixed emotions, happy, nervous, and overall joy for the next journey.
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