Brooke Shannon has wanted to be a medical doctor since she was 5 years old.

“When I was a little girl, my mom always watched trauma shows and emergency room dramas on television,” Shannon recalls.

At age 18, Shannon believes she is right on track for medical school, even though she hasn’t set foot on her high school campus in two years. Thanks to Georgia Perimeter College’s Dual Enrollment Program, Shannon was able to be a full-time college student while she was still in high school.

Shannon began her studies at Georgia Perimeter College when she was a high school junior. Dual Enrollment made it possible for Shannon to take all of her high school classes at GPC, mostly at the Newton Campus.

“I took 17 hours last semester and 17 this semester. I’ve taken a lot of math classes and chemistry, and now I’m taking organic chemistry.”

Shannon will receive her associate degree from Georgia Perimeter College and her diploma from Social Circle High School in the same month.

Georgia Perimeter College’s Dual Enrollment Program offers qualified high school seniors and juniors the opportunity to take college courses that can simultaneously fill high school and college requirements.