14-year-old to graduate from college before getting his high school diploma

By Trisha Marczak (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published 12:00 p.m., April 15, 2009

As Neil Turner walks across the stage May 11 to receive his Associates of Arts Diploma from M State - Fergus Falls, he may just appear to be a typical college grad.

Like many in his situation, he’s moving on to a new college next year, and is more than pleased to have a summer off to follow his favorite sports team: The Twins.

But despite all the similarities, there is one thing that separates Turner from the rest: He’s 14-years-old.

At age 12, Turner had received a 24 on the ACTs. That, paired with the amount of curriculum covered in his home school setting, helped land him a spot at M State - Fergus Falls as a Post Secondary Education Option (PSEO) student. But his admission to the college didn’t come without some convincing, as Turner had to prove he was up for the challenge.

Home school allowed Turner to create his own curriculum, which didn’t put limitations on his studies. With his brains and self determination, he managed to make his way through subjects far beyond his years.

“There really wasn’t much more left for me to do,” he said.

In his first few days of college, Turner began to adjust to the new setting, and found the transition to M State to be quite smooth.

Since then, he’s pulled out a 3.8 GPA and improved his ACT score to 31.

“I’m just really proud of him,” said his mother, Marla Turner. “He’s just a little boy and he’s done so much.”

Despite his young age he’s fit in well with his college classmates, having been a member of Mu Alpha Theta math honors society, Phi Theta Kappa honors society and an officer of the National Honor Society.

For Turner, studying is more than just a means to achieve a top grade — it’s an enjoyable activity.

“Learning is actually really fun,” he said. “I’m really excited to learn as much as I can and use it in life.”

Turner enjoys hunkering down with his history books more than anything. He says it’s the way in which historical events are interconnected that keeps him curious and interested in learning more. He also applies history’s lessons to present-day circumstances.

The next stop for the 14-year old college sophomore is the University of Minnesota, Morris, where he plans on double majoring in chemistry and history with the help of an academic scholarship. He’ll graduate with his bachelor’s degree at 16, a few months after he passes his driver’s test.

Beyond college, Turner plans to pursue a career in archeology. His main motivation is to prove the Bible is true, which is something his mother believes is inspired by a little divine intervention.

A few days after Turner graduates from M State - Fergus Falls, he’ll receive his high school diploma through Twin Oakes School, an alternative high school.

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