Keziah Carrington transferred to
Hostos Lincoln Academy (HLA) in her sophomore year of high school and
immediately hit the ground running. Upon learning of the school’s Early College Initiative (EIC), the studious pupil took advantage of the opportunity offered by the program to earn college credit at Hostos Community College, and now she holds the highest GPA in the HLA/ECI class of 2022 cohort and is on track to earn her high school diploma and an A.A. in Liberal Arts and Sciences at the same time — all before she even turns 18 years old.
A natural high-achiever, taking on advanced courses is not anything new for Carrington, who previously took high school-level work while in Junior High School. However, the task of balancing high school and college-level work was not easy. Determined to catch up and graduate with the students in her cohort, Carrington took on a heavy course load each semester, including taking 17 college credits in her final two semesters.
During her time in the program, Carrington most enjoyed her BIO 230/240 and Spanish courses. “They just have this way of teaching that made it very, I feel like, honestly, comfortable to want to learn” she said of her professors.
Looking back, Carrington admits she sometimes found her academic workload overwhelming. However, she credits her planning and time management skills with helping her succeed academically and finish her senior year with an impressive 3.96 GPA. In the end, it’s all been worth it for Carrington, who will the first in her immediate family to earn a college degree. “Also getting it on top of my high school diploma, that’s so amazing to me,” she said. “I’m also graduating at the top of my class. I’m just something I’m so proud of myself for.”
Carrington will go on to attend New York University in the fall, where she plans on majoring in either Biology or Bio-Medical Engineering. Looking further ahead, she aspires to go on to medical school, where she plans to focus on either research or pharmacology. Ultimately, she anticipates being a life-long learner. “I know I want a long-term kind of mindset. When it comes to school, I know I’ll end up being there for a long time, and not just because of the career I want. I like learning so much that even when I have an M.D., I would like to just add on and acquire so much more [knowledge].
We wish her the best of luck in all she does. Keep up the incredible work, Keziah!