Congratulations to Davidson Academy Online student Lucas H., who recently graduated with honors from McHenry County College at age 16, earning an Associate in Arts degree before finishing high school. Identified as advanced as early as preschool, Lucas’s family sought out Davidson Academy Online (DAO) for its mission to meet profoundly gifted students at their actual level, allowing him to engage in college-level work well before the traditional timeline. That academic fit helped position him to fully leverage MCC’s Running Start dual-credit program, combining community college, Advanced Placement, and DAO coursework to accelerate his path.
While enrolled at Davidson Academy Online, Lucas balanced rigorous DAO classes with both online and in-person MCC courses, all while working a part-time restaurant job. He completed a broad set of college classes—including economics, speech, geology, construction, horticulture, and film—on top of his high school requirements and will officially graduate high school as a junior at age 17 this spring.