AMERICA | An exceptional young girl named Amara Leggett has proved that age is not a limitation, as she achieved what many take a lifetime to accomplish at a very young age.
She earned an associate degree at 16 and a bachelor’s degree at just 19 years old. Her journey stands as a powerful example of academic foresight, discipline, and purpose-driven success.
Amara's Story and How She Did It
In 2017, Amara graduated from New Albany High School with her high school diploma. In the same year, remarkably, she also earned an Associate of Science degree from Columbus State Community College at just 16 years old.
According to her mother, Nadia Leggett, the achievement was not by luck or chance. “She sets her eyes on something, and she keeps going. She’s always been like that,” Nadia said.
From as early as ninth grade, Amara made a deliberate decision to replace as many high school classes as possible with college-level courses through Ohio’s College Credit Plus (CCP) dual-enrollment program.
Her goal was to save time, reduce costs, and move faster toward her future.
The journey required careful planning and patience. Amara worked closely with school counselors to determine which college courses could count toward both high school and college credit, which was not straightforward.
“It took a lot of trial and error,” she admitted. But the effort paid off, allowing her to shave years off her academic timeline and save thousands of dollars in college tuition.
Interestingly, Amara found herself more at home in college than in high school. “I liked college more than I liked high school,” she said. “It’s more about the real world. I like learning. I like doing homework.”
At Columbus State College, she found a supportive environment where older students did not judge her ambition or her age. Instead, she was embraced as a serious learner.
After earning her associate degree, Amara moved seamlessly into the next phase of her academic journey. In 2018, she enrolled at Saint Leo University in the United States, where she pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science.
Just two years later, in 2020, she graduated, completing her bachelor’s degree at only 19 years old. Amara’s story did not end with graduation.
Recognising how life-changing the dual-enrollment opportunity had been, she began documenting her journey through a blog, hoping to guide other students who wanted to graduate early and avoid student debt.
As her story spread, students and parents began reaching out for advice. Today, Amara serves as the CEO of A Young Legend, a personal brand company, and The Dual Enrollment Co., an organisation that provides resources to help students graduate early and debt-free.
She has taken time away from formal schooling to focus on service, mentorship, and community impact.
Amara believes success should never be hoarded. “A lot of the time, we discover there are people who have achieved the same thing we want. We know the path they’ve gone on. We never have to walk around in the dark,” she said.
Her mindset is rooted in collective progress, climbing upward while reaching back to help others rise too. “I bring help to people who really need it and figure out how we can get there all together,” Amara added.
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