Major congratulations are in order for 15-year-old Homestead High School student, Janiya Baker. The talented scholar has just make history by jumping from the 9th grade to the twelfth!
The Miami-Dade, FL county high school excited touted the news on their official Instagram.
“Congratulations to our very own Janiya Baker on being recognized for being the first student in MDCPS HISTORY to jump from 9th grade to 12th grade. Congratulations Janiya! You are going to do great things @suptdotres @mdcpssouth #broncopride #exit1.”
In another post on the school’s official Instagram account, they continued celebrating Baker, letting the world know that she started “high school with college credits.” Earlier this week, the City of Homestead recognized Baker for her academic achievements at a special ceremony.
Baker’s mother, told their local news outlet, Miami News 7, that her daughter’s academic journey began in elementary school when she and her husband both realized that they had a true academic on their hands.
“I noticed she was very accelerated, and I’m like, ‘OK, she don’t make B’s,” so them I’m like, let’s put her in higher classes, and then she started accelerating, accelerating and she went higher and she never dropped the ball so I was, ‘OK, let’s go for it,’” Baker’s mother said. “Me and her dad Travis, we raised her to be the intelligent young woman that she is, and we’re proud of her.”
Baker’s mother and father are not the only one’s that are extremely proud of the scholar. Baker’s high school principal also told Miami News 7 that what she has accomplished takes “grit and perseverance.”
“Moving from 9th grade to 12th, that shows grit, perseverance,” principal Samuel J. Louis said. “It shows a young lady with tenacity and the vision to accomplish her future goals, sooner rather than later.”
Baker herself commented to Miami 7 News on her what was behind her history-making moment drive. The 15-year-old said that she was simply, “… ready to finish school.”
The cheerleader continued giving sage advice to those how are following in her footsteps, “Never give up and keep going even if it gets hard and just have a great support system around you.”
Baker’s future plans include attending Florida International University where she is planning to major in business. She would also like to join the University’s cheer team.
Congratulations, Janiya! We cannot wait to see what the future holds for you!
Photo Credit(s)/Featured Image: Homestead High School Instagram
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