17-year-old Oakdale grad earns bachelor's degree, five associate's

Yahoo

10-06-2025

For Oakdale High School new graduate Kenzie Eacho, earning a high school diploma was not enough.
Eacho, who is 17 years old, in the month of May earned a high school diploma, five separate associate degrees and a bachelor's degree through the Frederick County Public Schools dual enrollment program.
From Frederick Community College, she earned, all with high honors, her:
* Associate of Applied Science, STEM Technology
* Associate of Arts, Arts and Humanities
* Associate of Arts, Arts and Humanities: English Area Certification
* Associate of Arts, Social Sciences
* Associate of Arts, Social Sciences: Psychology Area of Concentration.
Eacho earned her Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from the University of Maryland, Global Campus (UMGC) — also with high honors.
She said in an interview that her FCC classes, usually three a day, were in person.
Eacho said her classes at UMGC were asynchronous where the professor would send over the schoolwork rather than have the class meet at a scheduled time over Zoom.
'That was time consuming, but it was rewarding in the end because, obviously, I got a bachelor's degree from them,' she said.
She added that she would take six classes in a semester from UMGC, and some classes were an eight-week session that lasted half of the semester, which 'did make it a bit easier.'
Eacho said she began dual enrollment in her junior year because she wanted to graduate early — that year.
She said after speaking with her counselor, she learned that dual enrollment through FCPS was free.
The Blueprint for Maryland's Future is a set of education policies signed into law beginning in 2018 that were meant to be implemented over a decade. One of the goals in the Blueprint is improving college and career readiness, so the Blueprint requires that local school districts pick up the cost of dual enrollment for its students.
Eacho said she tested out of some classes during the summer between her junior and senior years. She was earning at least 20 credits from UMGC per semester starting in the fall of her senior year.
She added that her mom was supportive and helpful with time management and brainstorming 'what-if scenarios.'
'She was like, 'Well, if you do this with FCC and University of Maryland, Global Campus, then you could get a bachelor's degree by the time you're 17,'' Eacho said. 'I was like, 'I don't think that's going to happen, but we can try. What's the worst case-scenario, I get extra college credits?''
Alongside her classes, Eacho has worked as an insurance authorization specialist for Frederick Health Hospital since January 2024.
She additionally began as a lab assistant for the hospital's pathology lab in March of this year.
'It was kind of a snowball effect,' Eacho said.
Eacho said that through her classes and work, she has figured out that her goals have shifted from pursuing psychology in therapy and clinical application to a more research-based position.
'I feel like it's always interested me,' she said of psychology. 'Before I got into this degree-seeking thing, I was just obsessed with dreams and dreaming. I read books about it.'
Eacho said she is planning to take a year to complete science prerequisites at FCC, and then attend Hood College to earn her Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences.
She said her favorite class from her experience at FCC was her abnormal psychology class.
Eacho said her professor, Deb Morlier, would take the students around campus 'and show us all the resources the school had to offer.'
'So, I learned a lot about diagnosis and psychology and stuff like that,' she said. 'But, I also learned a lot more about the campus because I had no clue that there are so many resources available.'
Eacho said her mom, Jennifer Eacho, had a lot to do with her academic successes.
'She's such a great support system, like the best I've ever had in my whole life,' Kenzie Eacho said. 'It's amazing.'
Jennifer Eacho said she was proud of her daughter, and that there were days where Kenzie Eacho wanted to give up.
'She would just regroup and recalibrate, and then just kind of push through,' Jennifer Eacho said. 'It's not something I taught her because she's always been a very motivated person.'
Kenzie Eacho said she and her mom have planned a cruise for October, and are planning to visit Greece, Italy and Turkey.
Jennifer Eacho said she had promised to take her daughter anywhere if Kenzie Eacho accomplished her goal.
'I don't ever really have a lot of direction in my life,' Jennifer Eacho said. 'So, when I see her come up with these goals and really pursue them hardcore, it's inspiring. Of course, it makes me proud, but I wouldn't say I had anything to do with that. She was born that way.'