New Bern high school junior to graduate with associate’s degree

NEW BERN, N.C. (WITN) — A 17-year-old New Bern High School junior will cross the stage at Craven Community College’s graduation ceremony Friday to receive his associate’s degree, nearly a full year before he graduates high school.

Kevin Manriquez said he will be the county’s first high school junior to obtain an associate’s degree from Craven Community College.

“It’s really exciting to be the first, and I hope to pioneer something different. I hope that someone else breaks my record,” Manriquez said.

Manriquez moved frequently due to his father’s military and baseball career, attending 11 different schools. He started taking college classes in his sophomore year.

“I felt kind of out of place. But then I learned to embrace it. I saw that, even in our differences, there were lots of similarities,” Manriquez said.

Manriquez was invited to the Governor’s Mansion by state Rep. Steve Tyson and met Gov. Josh Stein.

“I felt like a million bucks, honestly. It was great to connect with these people. I felt very comfortable and spoke with these people about issues throughout our state,” Manriquez said.

Manriquez has received recognition from various leaders, including a letter from the White House signed by President Trump.

Constance King, a CCC academic advisor, said Manriquez showed exceptional focus.

“We would be able to meet and talk about what his goals were, and he was extremely focused on ‘I need to get these classes done because I have a goal to achieve,’ so I’m glad we were able to assist him in doing that,” King said.

Manriquez said he plans to pursue engineering in college and possibly attend medical school. He said he wants to thank everyone who made this achievement possible, including his professors, advisors, and family.