Texas teenager Selenah Cartier, 17 has made history as the University of Houston’s youngest graduate for Fall 2020.
At just seventeen, the exceptional young woman has already bagged two degrees.
Raised by a single mother, Cartier who was often bullied following her high-level performances as she always emerged top of her class opted for homeschooling full-time after the sixth grade.
At age 14, she graduated from high school and decided college was next;
“I needed a new challenge, and attending college presented the perfect academic and social growth opportunity for me,” said Salenah.
Salenah, one of four kids of her single mum, during her tenure at Lone Star College-Kingwood had to help out to offload the financial burden through the retail of used textbooks on eBay — which she had purchased for less online — and in thrift stores.
Undeterred, she leaned on to advice from her mother who encouraged the teen to always feed her brain regardless of how tough life got.
“My mom would always say you have to figure out what you want to do in life and how you want to make an impact on the world,” Cartier said.
Acknowledgement of self worth, determination and perseverance paid off big, Salenah graduated from Lone Star College-Kingwood with an associate of science degree before transferring to the University of Houston.
Now as the youngest graduate in her class, Cartier has not only obtained a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the UH College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, but she will also receive a certificate in Corporate Entrepreneurship from C.T. Bauer College of Business.
“I hope that my achievements are able to inspire [people] of all ages. It is never too early or late to pursue a goal,” said Cartier. “There will never be a perfect time to start a journey, but if you want to succeed, you just have to start. As long as you maintain an open mindset, you will learn on every step of the journey.”
Her dream is to use her education to help the less fortunate and become a policymaker, researcher, and educator to help disadvantaged children in society know the sky is the limit.
