Isabelle Calcano

With only two classes between her and a goal of a bachelor's degree, Isabelle Calcaño continues to exemplify fortitude.

She was dual-enrolled at the Forsyth County Alliance Academy for Innovation and the University of North Georgia (UNG) and graduated a year early. Advanced Placement classes, the College-Level Examination Program, and 18 credit hours each semester at UNG have brought her near the finish line of her undergraduate education. 

The Cumming, Georgia resident, graduated in August 2022 at age 18, methodically and strategically progressed in her goal of a degree in cybersecurity. She participated in extracurricular activities like Student Government Association (SGA) and an ambassadorship with the Mike Cottrell College of Business, an application-based program that provides a scholarship and, in return, asks recipients to provide 25 hours of service. 

"As SGA vice president on the Cumming Campus, I had to plan the events, show up and bring things, and lead," Calcaño said. "However, when we did our events and whenever we got together, we were all on the same level. We were a team. Leadership is being part of a team and making sure everyone's heard but taking the steps to make sure everyone's doing what they're supposed to be doing."

Being a strong leader means making sure each person gets a turn, can share opinions, and has input into whatever is being planned, Calcaño said.

"As a leader, I will have the final say, but I want to make sure everyone has a little piece of them in the event that we're planning or whatever we're doing. I want to make sure everyone is heard, but at the end of the day I will make the final decisions," Calcaño said.

Calcaño's fifth-grade teacher, Elaina Diaz, a Cuban, planted the seed of further education, she said, adding that they reunite annually.

"When I was in elementary school and middle school it wasn't common to have teachers that were also Hispanic," Calcaño said. "She inspired me to further my education."

In fact, Calcaño has her sights set on a doctoral degree.

"I hope to get my Ph.D. someday. In cybersecurity and computer science, there's an option where you can start your Ph.D. and get your master's as you go," she said. "So that's something that's a pretty awesome opportunity."