Terrific Teens: Idaho Falls teen graduates HS with AA degree; plans to study nuclear engineering

IDAHO FALLS — Ava White graduated salutatorian from nan Idaho Technical Career Academy (ITCA) past week. Earlier this month, she graduated pinch honors from nan College of Eastern Idaho, earning an subordinate of subject grade successful wide studies.

Having spent nan past 4 years dedicating overmuch of her free clip to studies — moving up to 18 hours a time connected schoolwork, according to her begetter Dain White — Ava will return yet different people this summer. Then, successful nan fall, she will be Idaho State University, majoring successful atomic engineering.

“I ever knew that I was willing successful science,” Ava said erstwhile asked what drew her to that major. “I wanted to do a batch successful my life, and it seemed for illustration subject is really nan measurement to do that.”

Ava was calved successful bluish Idaho — Moscow. Her family moved to Idaho Falls erstwhile she was 10. That was erstwhile INL, and a imaginable profession successful science, came into focus. Graduating precocious schoolhouse having already earned an associates grade is simply a feather successful nan headdress toward her aspirations of holding a position astatine INL. And she credits ITCA for achieving that.

She was calved pinch a trio of aesculapian conditions — Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and Raynaud’s Syndrome — which made ITCA’s online classes overmuch easier for her.

Among different symptoms, Ava explained to EastIdahoNews.com, she deals pinch regular dizziness and nausea, and her assemblage astatine times struggles pinch acold weather. So, being capable to be people without having to locomotion successful nan snowfall is massively convenient arsenic she doesn’t person to “battle (her) disabilities everyday” to spell to school.

Plus, Ava began attending ITCA — which has agelong held online classes and perfected operations of distant acquisition — successful 2020, erstwhile different schools were having to fig retired really to do so.

Asked what her plans person successful shop for her aft obtaining a bachelor’s grade successful atomic engineering, Ava said she anticipates continuing her higher acquisition journey. As for where, she said she does not expect to time off Idaho but would for nan correct circumstance.

“I really for illustration Idaho. If I tin find a amended schoolhouse to spell to, sure, I’ll spell wherever ever nan upwind takes me. But I’m decidedly not itching to get retired of Idaho,” she said.

When she has free time, Ava enjoys nan outdoors (symptoms permitting) on pinch playing and listening to music.

“I walk a batch of clip connected weekends moving connected schoolwork, but I really for illustration to spell camping and hiking. I’m crazy astir music, too. I emotion to play music, and I ever make clip to spell to concerts,” she said.

Ava has played nan marimba — which is akin to a xylophone — since she was 5 and much precocious took up nan accordion, kalimba and piano. Asked what benignant of euphony she enjoys, Ava said she is simply a hug instrumentality of punk music.