Cleveland, Wis. - Possibly the youngest student to ever earn a diploma at Lakeshore Technical College graduated with his peers on Saturday, May 21st.
One can only hope that Jordan Leslie loves the sound of pomp and circumstance, because he's going to be hearing a lot of it this spring.
"I was going fast through my courses. He was like, you know, maybe we could try something different," said Jordan Leslie, graduate.
It started on an adviser's whim and ended with Leslie being the first to hit a unique milestone.
"I was always the youngest in my class," Leslie said.
Initially, he looked so out of place at Lakeshore Technical College that a student official thought he must be a lost visitor.
"I didn't think he was a student, I questioned him, thought he was just here with a group and kind of got separated. So I actually questioned him what class he was in, he told me - I asked who the instructor was, he told me the instructor names, so I realized he was telling me the truth," said Douglas Gossen, vice president of student services at Lakeshore Technical College.
At the time, Leslie was simply a quick-witted 15-year-old on a mission.
"I've never known anyone nearby that's done that before so I was like you know what I'd love to do it -- I'd love to try and go for it and if I go for something I'm going to give it my best. That's just how I am," said Leslie.
Leslie successfully achieved his goal on Saturday, when he picked up his associate's degree in IT, two weeks before he graduates from high school.
"It was just basically up to me to ace the classes which as you can see 4.0," said Leslie.
His high school grades were just as good. Which is why when the now 17-year-old picks up yet another diploma in two weeks, he'll do so as the valedictorian.
As for next year...
"I got this valedictorian scholarship and I was like you know what maybe I go for more," said Leslie.
Leslie plans to be back at Lakeshore to start a second associate's degree in the school's electromechanical program.
"See how that all goes and then kind of figure things out from there," Leslie said.
To top it all off, Leslie says he's the first in his family to earn a college degree.
