Daniel Boone senior gets college associates degree before graduating from high school

May 17—Weeks before graduating from Dane Boone High School, Kristin Fitzcharles celebrated a pretty big jump-start on her post-high school plans.

The 18-year-old high school senior was one of over 500 students to gather at the Santander Arena on May 3 to accept their degrees from Reading Area Community College. Fitzcharles received her associates degree in integrated studies a full month before her June 5 graduation from high school.

"It honestly feels, like, really relieving that I've done something to aid in my future instead of waiting until I'm out of high school," the Union Township teen said.

Fitzcharles started her college career during her freshman year at Daniel Boone. That's when she began taking duel enrollment courses, classes at high school that also counted toward a degree at RACC.

Several of those courses were in math, a topic which she has excelled in since she was young. In fact, Fitzcharles said, she used to annoy her second grade teacher because she read too far ahead in her math book.

Fitzcharles said she loves the straightforwardness of math.

"I like that fact that numbers don't lie," she said. "All you have to do is come up with one simple equation and all the answers just come off of that."

Along with math courses, Fitzcharles also took classes in art, history, communications and accounting. Those last two — communications and accounting — she took online with other, mostly adult RACC students.

She said the experience was eye-opening.

"My classmates were in a totally different age range," she said. "I never really thought about their viewpoints until I met and talked with them.

"I think that has helped me for when I go to college in the fall. It taught me how to get involved and talk to more people."

After her Daniel Boone graduation, a four-year college is the next step for Fitzcharles. She plans to attend the University of Colorado in the fall to study applied mathematics. She plans to use that degree to fulfill a dream she has had since eighth grade — becoming an actuary.

"My grandmother was talking about someone who worked in the field and it sounded good," she said. "It's a steady job with a decent salary."

With her family struggling a bit financially during the COVID-19 pandemic — as many Americans did — that security is important to Fitzcharles.

"I don't want my kids to worry about stability or worry about money," she said.

Fitzcharles also said she finds the work of an actuary interesting, like dealing with risk analysis, people's net worth or life expectancy. And the career can lead to a job in almost any field, including space exploration.

Fitzcharles said she has long been fascinated with space, and would like to one day work for NASA.

"I love the planets and stars and everything, it's a hobby of mine," she said.

Since she'll be getting a degree in applied mathematics with a minor in engineering, Fitzcharles could qualify to become an astronaut. While she said she thinks that's a pretty cool gig to dream about, in reality it's probably not for her.

"I'm really scared about the rockets blowing up," she said. "I don't think I have the confidence to go up in one. But I'd be interested in doing the training and learning about it."

And while training to become an astronaut while likely not ever wanting to head to space might sound strange to some, it's par for the course for Fitzcharles. She's not one to sit still often, the kind of person who is seeking out new things to learn and do.

"I definitely can't be left with time," she said. "I like to stay busy."