Time I set a trend

MICHELE ROCHON Artist/Vendor

At Seton High School, no one had ever completed an “Early Admission” Program after 11th grade, which allowed you to skip the 12th grade. During those years, my mother decided to save her $700 a year in my tuition by having me attend college a year early. So, I attended night school at the Baltimore City Community College in Liberty Heights four nights a week after being in school all day at Seton. It was a difficult schedule; being a young person with mostly adults, I was in class from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday. Needless to say, I was a highly driven, ambitious young person, a self starter and highly motivated..

To complete the program, I had to have an 85% average along with all the credits needed to be a high school graduate. The principal did not want me to leave. She scratched her head and spoke with me over an hour. Finally, she said “We are not going to let you walk across the stage with your class in 1979, and you can pick up your diploma in my office next year.”

After that, two other students followed me to Morgan State after I shared the requirements for leaving. I was very popular serving as a representative for the student government, being one a few African American students with an all Caucasian staff. I had a very rough start in the 9th grade dealing with some racism.