Photo courtesy of WTMJ4 News.
Seventeen-year-old Imunique Triplett from Milwaukee, Wisc. earned her degree in nursing from Milwaukee Area Technical College while she was still in high school.
According to WTMJ-TV, the dedicated 17-year-old was a student who participated in a program called “M³.”
The M³ program permits students in high school within the Milwaukee Public School system to also enroll at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) to earn credit towards high school and college. The program assists students with careers in general education, teaching and nursing.
Triplett said she multi-tasked while completing her coursework for high school and three to four college courses together, especially during the pandemic.
Those who complete the M³ program in nursing, as Triplett has, become licensed practical nurses and are eligible to work in hospitals and extended care facilities. If a student chooses to continue their education, they could become a nurse practitioner or registered nurse while earning a higher salary.
As for the new graduate, Triplett wants to become a registered nurse. She also said that she recommends the program to other students.
“I feel like it definitely should be an opportunity for other people to be able to take. They should really know about the program,” she said. “I started actually working towards something, working toward a career.”
Milwaukee Public Schools’ post-secondary engagement coordinator, James Sokolowski, said that the program was created to help students see the connection between high school and careers.
“We are trying to work together to build pipelines for students so that they really see the connection of what they’re doing in high school, how it can connect to college and their future careers,” he said.
According to Erin Cherney, the manager of student relations at MATC, thousands of students signup for the program, but Triplett is the first to complete her degree while still in high school.
“When she said she was going to pass – tears. Just straight tears,” said Cherney. “Because of the hurdles she jumped through, because of the drive that she had. I know how hard it was, especially during a pandemic.”
Congratulations, Nurse Imunique!