High school diploma in one hand and hardship driver’s license in the other, 15-year-old Emily Cunningham will enroll at the University of North Texas this fall to study pre-law.

Cunningham raced through Woodrow Wilson High School in two years, unprecedented in the school’s 69-year history, by taking a series of correspondence courses and acceleration examinations.

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“Graduation was by accident,” says Cunningham, who says she initially took the correspondence courses and acceleration exams so she could enroll in Woodrow’s more challenging, upper-level classes.

Cunningham says she has no regrets about turning her high school career into a mere pit stop on the road of life. In her two years at Woodrow, Cunningham says she found time to participate in choir, mock trial, One Act Play, debate team and swim team.

“I’ve still done lots of extracurricular activities,” Cunningham says. “There isn’t one aspect of high school I’ve missed out on. I’ve done everything there is to do.”

Cunningham, who turns 16 the week after college classes begin, hopes to blend in among the student body at North Texas, but she knows it won’t be easy.

“I can’t vote until my junior year,” Cunningham says. “I’ll always be much younger than everyone else. In some ways, I’m kind of sorry I won’t be the right age.”

But Cunningham says she’s had a lot of reassurance and encouragement from teachers, friends and family.

“Most of my friends are pretty proud,” Cunningham says. “And I think a lot of people have been inspired.”

“I’m sure it (the adjustment) will be hard, but I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

Charmayne Rolla, Emily’s counselor at Woodrow, solicited the help of Dallas Public Schools’ Honors Development officials to make sure the correct steps were taken in getting her through high school in two years.

“I’ve had kids graduate in three years, but never in two,” Rolla says.

“It was challenging for me because I had to figure out if this was the right thing for her and if she was taking the right classes and getting a good foundation for college.”

“After we started working, everything fell into place.”

Emily’s mother, Nancy Cunningham, says she had a few reservations about sending her daughter to college after only two years of high school, but after talking with college counselors and other educators, her tensions eased.

“As a mom of any teenager, you’re hysterical all the time,” Nancy says.

“Being friends with seniors this year and last has given her a good taste of what the 18- and 19-year-old crowd is like.”

NEWS & NOTES

Lee Teacher Receives Scholarship: Kent Benson, a third grade bilingual teacher at Robert E. Lee Elementary School, recently received a scholarship from the Spanish government to study Spanish language and culture at the University of Salamanaca in July.

Woodrow Picks Up District Medals: Woodrow students recently claimed 21 academic medals at the U.I.L. District Competition. Among the first place winners were Jessica Ragsdale (News Writing), Jadranka Poljak (Feature Writing), Todd Gaspard (Math Contest) and Erin Armstrong (Number Sense). Other winners were Sheryl Ray and Tim Emery (News Writing), Jaime Simpson (Feature Writing), Veronica Diaz (Editorial Writing), Michael Green (Editorial Writing and Headline Writing), Olivia Ortega (Headline Writing), Elizabeth Clore and Laura Smith (Ready Writing), Matthew Liebman and Kevin Johnson (Math Contest), and Jeremy Liebman and Jordan Munn (Number Sense).

Vacation Bible School: Zion Lutheran invites all preschoolers through sixth graders to attend the Wild Frontier Bible Theme Park June 16-20 from 9-11 a.m. at Zion Lutheran Church, 6121 E. Lovers. For information, call 363-1639.