Bridgeway Graduate Amelia Morehead set to Graduate College at 18

Fourteen years old and a high school graduate? One Bridgeway Academy student shows how self-paced learning helped her excel at a record pace.

Imagine knowing your child is gifted and needs to be challenged in school. Imagine knowing she’s advanced beyond her current grade level. Imagine the shock upon hearing, “We’re sorry, but your child has to stay in their grade and age level. We can’t move them into a higher grade.” That shock is what caused Beth Morehead to start researching personalized homeschool programs for her daughter.

At the time, Beth was already a longtime homeschool parent. As a parent in a frequently-moving military family, Beth started homeschooling to keep consistency in her children’s education. As a result, her youngest child, Amelia, was in a classroom from the time she was a week old. “I was homeschooling her older brother and sister, so wherever we went and whatever we did, Amelia went and did,” explains Beth. So, it wasn’t necessarily a surprise when Amelia progressed quickly through lessons and Beth realized early-on that her daughter was gifted.

After Amelia completed both kindergarten and first grade within a year, Beth knew she needed to move her daughter into a higher grade. The program she had been using, though, wouldn’t let her. Not wanting to hinder her daughter’s love of learning and hold her back, Beth began researching and found Bridgeway Academy.

 When starting with Bridgeway, Amelia should have been in the 2^nd grade, but testing put her into the 4^th and 5^th grades. Bridgeway “helped us fit the needs we had at the time and let us progress at our own pace, advancing as needed,” says Beth. That pace allowed Amelia to move through the curriculum at a rapid rate. By the time she was 14, Amelia was graduating high school.

A dual-enrollment student, Amelia already had 15 hours of college credit on her record when she graduated, and went on to study at Copiah-Lincoln Community College. This past December, at age 16, Amelia received her associate degree and became one of the youngest CLCC graduates in history. She’s taking a little break this semester, but when fall starts, Amelia will begin classes at Mississippi College, where she’ll enter as a junior, majoring in Child Psychology and minoring in English Lit. She’ll turn 17 shortly after the semester starts and is on the path to becoming one of Mississippi College’s youngest graduates, due to graduate when she’s 18. The state of Mississippi recently passed a House Resolution recognizing Amelia for her academic achievements.

Speaking about Bridgeway, Beth Morehead said, “Bridgeway put Amelia on a path to be above her time.” Bridgeway is honored to be a part of Amelia’s story, congratulates her on all she’s accomplished, and looks forward to seeing where her path takes her next.