Graduation celebrations for Markhiyah Love, of West Helena, will be twice as proud this month for her and her family. At age 18, Love will graduate with honors from high school and college in the same month! Friday evening, Love raised the bar for most high school seniors, receiving special recognition as a 2023 honor graduate at Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas (PCCUA) and obtaining her first college diploma, an Associate of Arts Degree in general studies.
Having started taking college classes in the eleventh grade at KIPP Delta, Love was able to complete the necessary number of college hours to graduate through a mixture of concurrent credit classes in high school, in addition to some face-to-face and online college classes.
“I started taking classes at Phillips, because I knew I was capable of taking on higher education and succeeding,” she said. “But, I didn’t know that I would be able to get my associate degree, as well. Once I was told that I could obtain my associate degree, I set my mind to getting a head start on my future.”
As you might guess, Love has set her career sights high, too, choosing to enter the U.S. Airforce this fall majoring in biology with long-range goals of entering the medical field to become a dermatologist.
Setting high academic and career goals came at a young age for Love, whose high school honors included recognition in chemistry, algebra and biology. Also competitive outside the classroom at KIPP, she has been involved in volleyball, basketball, and running track.
When asked if she’s anxious about joining the military, Love said she’s looking forward to all of the benefits that come with military service and making her career goals a reality.
“I am interested in dermatology, because, for the longest, I have been really interested in anything dealing with hair, skin, and nails,” she said, “whether it’s learning about different routines that benefit different people, or how different diseases of the hair, skin, and nails affect the overall health of people.”
In her down time, Love enjoys listening to music, watching movies, exercising, and journaling.
