Amanda Jackson started playing teacher at age 5.

“She never swayed from that. All along, she’s wanted to be a teacher,” said her mother, Jeannie.

On Friday, that dream will come true. But for Amanda, it’s coming true much sooner than for most.

Amanda began going to college full time when she was a junior in high school through the post-secondary enrollment program offered through Albert Lea High School and Riverland Community College. She received her associate degree the month before she graduated from Albert Lea High School.

And now, at age 19, she’s graduating, with honors, from Winona State University with a bachelor’s degree in teaching.

Amanda said she and her best friend, Maria Bena, were the only ones from their class who opted to attend college full time. They’ve been through it together, even student teaching at the same school, and Maria will also receive her teaching degree Friday.

Amanda said they learned about the post-secondary program as sophomores in high school. “At first, I thought it sounded good, then said no, it may not be right, and then I said oh, I’ll give it a try,” she recalled.

Jeannie said she and Amanda’s father, Scott, were initially against the idea. “The high school years are the best years, and I wanted to make sure she enjoyed them,” she said.

When Amanda tried college courses, however, she was hooked.

“At first the freedom was appealing, but scary,” Amanda admitted. “It was a different community and lifestyle. I found it enjoyable to be with the older age group, and I felt more challenged than I did in high school.”

She never felt like she was missing out on anything in high school. “I still went to prom,” she said.

“And at graduation, the old group re-formed.”

Amanda took most of her classes that first year at Riverland’s Austin campus. While tuition and books were free through the post-secondary option, she still had the costs of gasoline and meals, her mother said.

Amanda had no trouble transferring her credits to Winona State. She took her junior and senior year college courses on the university’s Rochester campus. The first year, she lived in Rochester. Because she was considered a junior, she wasn’t eligible for on-campus housing. And at age 18, it was extremely tough to find an apartment for her, her mother added.

“That was probably the only drawback,” Jeannie said.

Amanda commuted from home last fall, and this term, only had to drive to Sumner Elementary School in Austin for student teaching. She’s been student teaching second-graders, but has gotten teaching experience with first-, fourth- and seventh-graders as well.

Even though she might not be that much older than her students, Amanda sees that as an advantage rather than a disadvantage.

“I don’t feel 19, but I can relate to them,” Amanda said. “I can remember things I didn’t like that my teachers did, and try not to do that myself.”

As a student teacher, she’s loved seeing the children in her classroom grow in the short time in which she’s known them. “It’s very rewarding,” she said.

Amanda has no doubts the post-secondary option was right for her. But it’s clearly not right for everyone.

“I’ve seen kids go down,” she said, adding for some it’s hard to understand that once classes are done for the day, they don’t have the rest of the day just for themselves to do whatever they like. They need to study. They need to have discipline.

Amanda’s younger sister, Natasha, graduated from high school last year, and, thanks to the post-secondary enrollment program, is receiving her associate of arts degree in May. She plans to attend Minnesota State University, Mankato, next year.

Jeannie said she believes the practice she and Scott had of reading to their children every day and even focusing discipline around having their children write or talk about what they’d done has been key to their success.

Amanda is excited to start on her dream come true. “It’s like a fairy tale to me. I’m tickled that I’ve found a career that’s more like a hobby to me.”

The other part of her fairy tale is that she’s getting married Aug. 3, and she and her fiance will settle on an Air Force base in North Dakota, where she’s told teachers are in great demand.

Her parents couldn’t be more proud of her.

“There are those people who have a career, and those who have a passion,” Jeannie said. “The way her face lights up when she tells me stories at night tells me it’s her passion.

“She’s worked hard and paid the price,” she said. “I’m very proud of the woman she’s grown into.”Amanda said they learned about the post-secondary program as sophomores in high school.

“At first, I thought it sounded good, then said no, it may not be right, and then I said oh, I’ll give it a try,” she recalled.

Jeannie said she and Amanda’s father, Scott, were initially against the idea. “The high school years are the best years, and I wanted to make sure she enjoyed them,” she said.

When Amanda tried college courses, however, she was hooked.

“At first the freedom was appealing, but scary,” Amanda admitted. “It was a different community and lifestyle. I found it enjoyable to be with the older age group, and I felt more challenged than I did in high school.”

She never felt like she was missing out on anything in high school. “I still went to prom,” she said. “And at graduation, the old group re-formed.”

Amanda took most of her classes that first year at Riverland’s Austin campus. While tuition and books were free through the post-secondary option, she still had the costs of gasoline and meals, her mother said.

Amanda had no trouble transferring her credits to Winona State. She took her junior and senior year college courses on the university’s Rochester campus. The first year, she lived in Rochester. Because she was considered a junior, she wasn’t eligible for on-campus housing. And at age 18, it was extremely tough to find an apartment for her, her mother added.

“That was probably the only drawback,” Jeannie said.

Amanda commuted from home last fall, and this term, only had to drive to Sumner Elementary School in Austin for student teaching. She’s been student teaching second-graders, but has gotten teaching experience with first-, fourth- and seventh-graders as well.

Even though she might not be that much older than her students, Amanda sees that as an advantage rather than a disadvantage.

“I don’t feel 19, but I can relate to them,” Amanda said. “I can remember things I didn’t like that my teachers did, and try not to do that myself.”

As a student teacher, she’s loved seeing the children in her classroom grow in the short time in which she’s known them. “It’s very rewarding,” she said.

Amanda has no doubts the post-secondary option was right for her. But it’s clearly not right for everyone.

“I’ve seen kids go down,” she said, adding for some it’s hard to understand that once classes are done for the day, they don’t have the rest of the day just for themselves to do whatever they like. They need to study. They need to have discipline.

Amanda’s younger sister, Natasha, graduated from high school last year, and, thanks to the post-secondary enrollment program, is receiving her associate of arts degree in May. She plans to attend Minnesota State University, Mankato, next year.

Jeannie said she believes the practice she and Scott had of reading to their children every day and even focusing discipline around having their children write or talk about what they’d done has been key to their success.

Amanda is excited to start on her dream come true. “It’s like a fairy tale to me. I’m tickled that I’ve found a career that’s more like a hobby to me.”

The other part of her fairy tale is that she’s getting married Aug. 3, and she and her fiance will settle on an Air Force base in North Dakota, where she’s told teachers are in great demand.

Her parents couldn’t be more proud of her.

“There are those people who have a career, and those who have a passion,” Jeannie said. “The way her face lights up when she tells me stories at night tells me it’s her passion.

“She’s worked hard and paid the price,” she said. “I’m very proud of the woman she’s grown into.”