While most students were excited for Christmas break, a small group of seniors will never have to walk the halls of Kingwood Park again after graduating on Dec. 19.  

With a lot of summer classes, these seniors put in the hours so they could graduate ahead of their classmates.

“I did a lot of school time over the summer – college classes,” Jordan Hutchinson said. “And I would be at church camps and I would be in my room doing quizzes and tests instead of being able to enjoy, just a lot of work and time but it’s worth it.”

Senior Tatum Holloway ended up taking almost all elective classes so she could graduate in December. Although it lowered her GPA, she is still attending Texas A&M in the fall. She is using her newly gained free time to start taking Lone Star College classes in the spring, aiming to knockout some of her freshman basics. 

Hutchinson made a similar plan, after finding out she was eligible to graduate early after taking various classes over the summer, like Art Appreciation and Government, to give her the credits needed. It wasn’t much of a decision for Hutchinson, who said she never quite enjoyed school and just wanted to get started with her life after high school.

She will start her freshman year at Lone Star College on Jan. 20 and become a college sophomore by the fall semester when she plans to enroll at Texas Tech University.

Hutchinson and Holloway still have the option to participate in the graduation ceremony in May with the rest of the Class of 2026. 

“Throwing your hat up in the air, you know, that’s the moment,” Holloway said. “Like, you’re finally done and I want to be able to grab my diploma.”