From High School Senior to College Graduate in Six Months: How a 19-Year-Old Rewrote the Rules of Education
Elena Talingo - Screenshot via YouTube
A teenager from Wisconsin has accomplished something most students take years to achieve, earning her college degree just six months after finishing high school.
Elena Talingo, 19, graduated from Preble High School in Green Bay in the spring and already holds a bachelor’s degree from University of Wisconsin–Green Bay. Speaking after her achievement, Elena said she was overwhelmed with pride. “I feel accomplished. I’m just speechless. Like, I actually did it,” she said.
Elena completed her degree through UW–Green Bay’s Rising Phoenix Program, which allows motivated students to earn college credits while still in high school. She began taking college-level courses in 2023 and had already accumulated an extraordinary 132 college credits before ever stepping onto campus full time.
Her academic path looked very different from that of a traditional student, but Elena says the sacrifice was worth it. She described valuing her education deeply and pushing herself to make the most of every opportunity available.
The accelerated program didn’t just save time—it saved money. By earning credits early, Elena and her family avoided roughly $80,000 in tuition, books, and related college expenses, leaving her completely debt-free at graduation.
“I don’t have to worry about student loans hanging over my head,” Elena explained. “That kind of financial freedom puts me in a much more stable position than most graduates my age.”
With her degree in supply-chain management already in hand, Elena is now preparing to begin a full-time role with Honeywell Aerospace in Minneapolis, where she will work in the company’s Aerospace Development program. She also completed two back-to-back internships while finishing her coursework.
Elena credits discipline and focus for her success. “If something matters to you, you make the time,” she said. “That’s why I don’t stop at one goal—there’s always more to do.”
When asked what advice she would offer other students, Elena kept it simple: take every opportunity, ask questions, build connections, and never underestimate yourself. “Rejection isn’t failure,” she added. “It’s redirection.”
Now stepping into her career before most of her peers have even chosen a major, Elena’s story stands as a powerful reminder of what’s possible when ambition meets opportunity.
