More than 21,000 students earned degrees from Arizona State University on Monday, May 12, making it the largest graduating class in school history.
One of those graduates, Abigail Zagala is just 14 years old. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in social and behavioral sciences at the age most people begin high school.
Zagala started reading shortly before turning 2, was taking college-level algebra by age 8 and finished her high school subjects by 11. She said as a resident of Peoria, ASU’s West campus was the perfect place to continue her education while living at home.
“For the algebra, I was actually on ASU’s Universal Learner program,” Zagala said. “So ASU was kind of always a part of my journey. I mean, even when I was small, my dad was an alum, so we have pictures of me as a toddler wearing the Sun Devils gear.”
She says her next step is to attend law school.
“I was inspired by my grandpa who served 34 years in the U.S. Air Force,” Zagala said. “He protected people’s rights, and I want to do that too — just in a slightly different way as a human rights lawyer.”
Zagala has already been accepted to several top-20 law schools throughout the nation and has received a full scholarship offer from one of her top choices.
-
Republican lawmakers are moving to deny in-state tuition at state universities to anyone not here legally, a move that could undermine what voters approved just three years ago. -
Tensions were high Thursday morning at the Arizona Board of Regents meeting in Tucson. Students and staff at the state’s public universities spoke out ahead of a vote to scrub board policies of words like diversity and affirmative action. -
Universities across the country are dealing with changes from the federal government. In addition to these newer issues, the University of Arizona is still recovering from last year’s financial crisis. -
Student visa interviews are a key step for foreign-born scholars hoping to come to the U.S. The Trump administration says they’re being paused while the State Department develops a more intensive social media screening protocol for applicants. -
Alpha Pi Omega was founded in the 1990s, and has over 14 chapters on college campuses around the country, with about 900 sisters representing at least 130 tribes.
