This year, three remarkable young women will walk the graduation stage at Howard University, earning degrees before most of their peers had even finished their sophomore year. Joyce Sob, Monasia Thompson, and Ja’Shaylee Minor represent the best of what Howard strives to cultivate — resilience, excellence, and vision. They arrived with college credits, clear goals, and a drive few adults ever manage to maintain. And now they leave not just as graduates but as future doctors, lawyers, and advocates for justice and community.

At Howard University, age has never defined brilliance — and this year’s youngest graduates have proven just that. These exceptional young women, all under 20 years old, went to a high school-to-college program that allowed them to take college courses instead of their regular curriculum their junior year in high school. They have defied traditional timelines and embraced the challenge of higher education head-on, emerging not just with degrees but with direction, purpose, and a fierce commitment to serve.

Joyce Sob, graduating with a degree in biology at just 19, represents the fusion of early academic acceleration and deep-rooted ambition. She began college courses in high school and never looked back. At an age when most are just beginning their undergraduate journey, Sob is preparing to enter medical school at Howard this summer. Her future in healthcare isn’t just a dream — it’s a calling sparked by early exposure, focused discipline, and an unshakable faith in her path. 

Monasia Thompson, a criminology major with an early associate degree, brings a passion for justice and reform to everything she touches. Her time at Howard has been marked by academic excellence and deep community involvement, including tutoring incarcerated youth. Now preparing to work as a background investigator and later apply to law school, Thompson is already taking meaningful steps toward a career in juvenile justice and policy reform. 

Ja’Shaylee Minor, who earned her associate degree before graduating high school, steps into the world with a political science degree and an extraordinary resume of legal and public policy experience. From internships with the White House to leadership roles on campus, Minor has used her time at Howard to build the foundation for a powerful legal career. She will attend Mitchell Hamline School of Law in 2025, aiming to use the law as a tool for systemic change. 

Sob will begin medical school at Howard this summer with a focus on oncology. Thompson is headed into criminal justice with plans for law school, already seasoned through her volunteer work with incarcerated youth. Minor, who boasts internships with the White House and major law firms, is preparing for law school in 2025 with the same focus and fire that propelled her through Howard with distinction. 

They are extraordinary — no doubt about that. But sitting across from them, I couldn’t help but notice: at their very core, they are still just girls. Beneath the polished Howard façade were moments of youthful giggles, inside jokes, and bright eyes full of wonder. You could tell they had spent much of their lives as model students — disciplined, focused, and mature beyond their years. But as someone who’s worn the cap and gown and still remembers the questions that come after, I implored them to breathe. 

I asked them to travel, to make mistakes, to lean into their youth. Not to rush. Not to fall into the trap of seeing life as a race. They told me, laughing but serious, that the dating pool is “trash.” “Already???” I replied, amused and concerned. The world will not always reward you for your brilliance, but it will always test it. That’s what I wanted them to know. That’s what I hope they remember. 

From the outside, it’s easy to see these young graduates as bulletproof — Howard-made and purpose-driven. But in truth, Howard doesn’t make the grad. The grads make Howard. They bring their brilliance, their dreams, and yes, even their girlhood, to a place that dares them to be more than what the world expects. 

As an older “auntie” reporter sitting across from them — fiendishly proud of young women I had just met — I knew I was witnessing something special; not just an academic feat, but the beginning of three powerful lives. Their best years aren’t behind them. They’re just getting started.  

Though young in age, these women are mature in purpose. Their paths to early graduation were forged through discipline, sacrifice, and the support of mentors, parents, and professors who recognized their potential. Each of them embraced dual enrollment opportunities, entered college with earned credits, and moved with clarity through their time at Howard. 

But their journeys weren’t without challenges. They all faced moments of doubt — missing out on parts of youth, questioning if they were moving too fast, navigating social circles that didn’t always reflect their reality. Yet, what they’ve gained in focus, direction, and confidence far outweighs the sacrifices. 

Howard University has long been a launching pad for gifted minds and courageous hearts. For students like Sob, Thompson, and Minor, the Mecca offered more than academic training — it offered community, mentorship, and the power of representation. Their stories remind us that excellence is not bound by age, and that passion, when paired with purpose, creates unstoppable momentum. 

These youngest graduates don’t just walk across the stage with degrees — they walk with a mission to uplift, heal, and lead. For every young student wondering if they’re ready, they are proof: the world doesn't wait, and neither should you.