She’s ranked as one of the top five students in her class, takes great care in keeping her grades up, and is planning on graduating high school by the end of this year. The kicker: she’s only in 10th grade. With automatic admission to any Texas state funded university of her choosing and probable chance of financial aid due to her grades, Jane* is earning herself a bright future with big dreams and a dedication to excellence.

Most students strive for grades good enough to get them high rankings, but only a small portion of the student population actually achieves them. Even fewer reach the top five.

“I think I really started becoming diligent as a freshman and tried to get high in ranks,” Jane said.

However easy she may make it seem, maintaining these grades is no cake walk.

“I do tend to procrastinate, I’m not going to deny that, but I try to get things done in a timed order. Not anything too specific, I just try to make sure I study for everything, get everything covered,” Jane said.

She has always had somewhat of a perfectionist mindset, “I worked pretty hard in elementary school,” Jane said. “Not that the material was hard, but because I wanted that perfect 100 every time.”

Evidently, it has done her well throughout the years. In their sophomore year of high school, students are mostly still unsure of what they want to do with their lives or how to get there. Jane, however, has a large amount of her future mapped out.

“I really love biology, and the medical field fascinates me, so I’m looking forward to majoring in something biology-related and becoming a surgeon,” Jane said.

With an intense pressure, such as early graduation, looming, one might wonder how she does it all.

“Sometimes I do feel like I work too hard, but I know that eventually in the end it’ll pay off,” Jane said.

Jane plans on getting her life and career started in less than ten years. “I’m interested in some fast-track programs, like graduating early, and finishing my undergraduate studies and med school in 7 years.”

Plans not typical of someone barely halfway through high school. In short, Jane’s bright future is the product of years of hard work.

“I had to put more effort into school, and I also set goals that were more long-term than a straight 100, like college and a career, to motivate myself,” Jane said.

As she goes on to accomplish her goals in just a few short months, she’ll be armed with the confidence that she’s capable of tackling anything.

*Student’s name changed to protect identity.