Homeschooling to Mount Holyoke: Teen attending historic women's college with $277K scholarship

Emma Cate Duggar, 18, is passionate about love. In an essay, she said, "you're defined by love, not hate." She lives by the principle and applies it in all aspects of her life.

Her inspirational words in the essay, has earned her a $277,720 scholarship over four years to Mount Holyoke College, in South Hadley, Massachusetts. According to the school's website, the estimated cost of attendance is $86,702 annually.

Mount Holyoke, established in 1837, is recognized as the first full-fledged college for women in the country. The private liberal arts college is the oldest of the Seven Sisters, a prestigious group of women's colleges that serve as a female counterpart to the predominantly male Ivy League institutions.

Emma Cate has been homeschooled since kindergarten and now takes courses at Tallahassee Community College. She currently works four jobs while completing her studies. Her occupations include interning for the non-profit Five Wishes, working as a gymnastics coach at the Trousdell Center, carpooling for young children in her neighborhood, and babysitting.

Her mother, Staci Duggar, said despite the busy schedule, Emma Cate manages her time well, and is more than prepared for the prestigious college.

"I am so proud of her; she works so hard. Taking TCC classes and working four jobs is not easy for anyone to do, and she maintained a 4.0 (GPA). She's compulsive like her mother," Duggar, a grants officer at Florida State University, joked about her middle child.

Duggar said her daughter has the credits to graduate from TCC with her associate's degree, though she doesn't plan to seize that opportunity. What she really wants is a four-year degree from Mount Holyoke, she said.

Emma Cate has not yet committed herself to a major, but she is very passionate about national security and is leaning heavily towards political science.

"I took a really good political science class at Tallahassee Community College and ever since then I have been interested in that," Emma Cate said.

Her first time in a traditional classroom setting was when she was 14 and started taking courses at TCC. She said the small class sizes and discussion-based lessons were very helpful in her studies at the local college, and she witnessed the same model when she visited Mount Holyoke.

Overwhelming questions filled her head during her travel from Tallahassee to Massachusetts.

Could she see herself studying in the same buildings where millions of American women paved the way for her and other young women? Could she be a part of that legacy?

Once she set foot on the campus, her mind went blank, echoing one question only: Could this be the school for me?

"To be honest, I was a little nervous before visiting because it is an all women school. Once I got there, I saw that it's such a loving community," Emma Cate said of her tour at the college. "When I toured other schools, it just seemed like everybody was by themselves, but over there it was such a strong sense of community."

Emma Cate found her visit to Mount Holyoke refreshing. Walking around the campus, she was in awe at the scenery. She thought the brick buildings were beautiful and the botanical gardens were exquisite.

"The campus was so pretty, and the library was really pretty too," she said of the library's cathedral style interior.

Emma Cate said she hardly noticed there were no men on the campus.

"I guess I didn't realize there were no men in the classes, but it was nice," she said. "It was so different from what I am used to, but in a good way."

For most graduating seniors, moving away can be slightly intimidating, and for Emma Cate the concern is no different. She said she reminds herself constantly that she is defined by love and not fear. Her love for a quality education, was stronger than her fear of being in a new and unfamiliar place.

Emma Cate has two older siblings who attend Florida State University and a younger brother, all of whom were homeschooled. She will be the first of her siblings to travel across state lines for her postsecondary education.

"I'm a little scared but I think more than anything I'm scared of the cold," she said with a lighthearted laugh. "I feel like it will be hard to just leave, I've lived here all my life, but I'm more excited than anything."

Emma Cate is set to start at the college in the fall.

This is the latest in a series of "Senior Spotlights" by the Democrat for the Class of 2024, showcasing local high school graduates who have distinguished themselves, especially in academic achievement.

Alaijah Brown covers children & families for the Tallahassee Democrat. She can be reached at ABrown1@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee homeschooled student gets scholarship to Mount Holyoke