NEW BERN, N.C. (WITN) \u2014 A 17-year-old New Bern High School junior will cross the stage at Craven Community College\u2019s graduation ceremony Friday to receive his associate\u2019s degree, nearly a full year before he graduates high school.<\/p>\n
Kevin Manriquez said he will be the county\u2019s first high school junior to obtain an associate\u2019s degree from Craven Community College.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really exciting to be the first, and I hope to pioneer something different. I hope that someone else breaks my record,\u201d Manriquez said.<\/p>\n
Manriquez moved frequently due to his father\u2019s military and baseball career, attending 11 different schools. He started taking college classes in his sophomore year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI felt kind of out of place. But then I learned to embrace it. I saw that, even in our differences, there were lots of similarities,\u201d Manriquez said.<\/p>\n
Manriquez was invited to the Governor\u2019s Mansion by state Rep. Steve Tyson and met Gov. Josh Stein.<\/p>\n
\u201cI felt like a million bucks, honestly. It was great to connect with these people. I felt very comfortable and spoke with these people about issues throughout our state,\u201d Manriquez said.<\/p>\n
Manriquez has received recognition from various leaders, including a letter from the White House signed by President Trump.<\/p>\n
Constance King, a CCC academic advisor, said Manriquez showed exceptional focus.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe would be able to meet and talk about what his goals were, and he was extremely focused on \u2018I need to get these classes done because I have a goal to achieve,\u2019 so I\u2019m glad we were able to assist him in doing that,\u201d King said.<\/p>\n
Manriquez said he plans to pursue engineering in college and possibly attend medical school. He said he wants to thank everyone who made this achievement possible, including his professors, advisors, and family.<\/p>\n
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