RICHMOND HEIGHTS, Ohio — It's graduation season, which means it's time for thousands of students to cross the stage to get their diploma.
That's the case for one Richmond Heights teen, but several factors make her story remarkable.
"To call Anita Bennett an impressive young woman would be an understatement," announced Cuyahoga Community College President Michael Baston. "Today, she receives an associates of science degree graduating summa cum laude. It is her third associate's degree from Tri-C."
Honored to receive a shoutout from Baston is one thing, why Anita Bennett was recognized is another.
Anita is 14-years-old with three degrees from Cuyahoga Community College.
The next big decision is where to go to get her bachelor's, but she already knows the step after that.
"I definitely want to take over my mother's home childcare," Anita tells us. "It's a five-star home childcare and I have just always had a passion for children and for teaching and all of that stuff. So when I get older, I'm going to be her business partner."
Starting at Tri-C at a young age is nothing new in the Bennett family, as two of Anita's siblings also went through online school and then enrolled in the College Credit Plus Program.
"My oldest sibling Angel, she's 21 and she started Tri-C when she was 13," Anita says. "And then my sister Amber started when she was 11 and I started when I was 11," Bennett said.
It's not all studies though, as Anita has participated in gymnastics and choir in addition to her schoolwork.
She has advice for anyone who wants to accomplish something similar.
"Just don't give up and know that nothing is impossible," Anita says. "Because if you're moving forward, you're making progress."
It's the year of graduations in the Bennett family.
Anita's 18-year-old sister graduated with her bachelor's already and is now preparing for her high school graduation. Meanwhile, her youngest sister just graduated from kindergarten.
