Hannah Pearson, a 17-year-old college student from Robeson County, North Carolina, plans to become a certified teacher before the age of 19. She graduated from Robeson Community College with an associate of arts after finishing high school early. She is now pursuing a degree in Elementary Education at the University of North Carolina, Pembroke.
With an early start and a strong drive, Hannah is making remarkable progress in her education journey. “Because I just love to learn new information and just explore, learning many things,” She told WRAL.
Her mother Miranda McNair, who has been a teacher at Fairmont High School for 28 years, proudly watched her daughter as she achieved her goals.
“She is self-driven. Even into foreign languages. She [says], oh, I want to learn a new language, so she’ll learn Korean, learn Spanish and learn Portuguese,” she said.
Hannah began participating in North Carolina’s Career and College Promise Program while she was in the tenth grade. This program provides free education, which makes it very inexpensive for students like her. She was able to earn an astonishing 60 college credits through this program.
“I believe you can do anything you put your mind to,” she said. “It doesn’t matter how well the next person does it. The only thing that matters is you and your drive.”
Her dad, Brian McNair, couldn’t be prouder. Inspired by his daughter’s drive, he made a big decision – to go back to school himself. He recently earned his bachelor’s degree from UNC Pembroke.
“I can’t tell her to do something, to go after something that I haven’t achieved myself… so I got back into school at UNC Pembroke,” he said. “God has given her a platform to show other kids that this is achievable.”