Desiree Gonzalez Begins College at Age 13

Desiree Gonzalez is a 13-year-old from Arcadia, Fla. who takes her first classes through SFSC Dual Enrollment (DE) on the DeSoto Campus this fall. She may be the youngest person to do so at SFSC. “With enrollments for DE on the DeSoto Campus, we usually see students starting in 10th or 11th grade,” said Asena Mott, DeSoto Campus director. “However, we have begun to see more high school freshmen in the last couple of years.”

Gonzalez was home schooled until she reached fourth grade. She then began fourth grade at West Elementary School in Arcadia and tested into the Talented and Gifted (TAG) program. According to the Florida Department of Education, “Florida defines gifted students as students who have superior intellectual development and are capable of high performance.” By the time Gonzalez was in fifth grade, her parents were concerned that she needed a greater educational challenge. Carrie Fuller, director of instructional services with the School District of DeSoto County, suggested Gonzalez participate in a summer work-ahead-type program. Gonzalez took online summer classes every year from the summer after fifth grade through summer 2021. She had taken so many summer classes, that by the time she would have been scheduled for seventh grade, she was considered an eighth grader. And going into high school, she has already completed three of her required ninth grade classes.

Gonzalez’s mother, Elizabeth Robertson, was so proud of her daughter’s acceptance into SFSC that she created a special SFSC Panthers t-shirt for her.

After graduating from SFSC with an Associate in Arts, Gonzalez would like to attend the University of South Florida or Florida State University and major in English and Education. As someone who loves reading and English, she would, ultimately, like to become a middle school English teacher.

But Gonzalez isn’t confined to the books. Besides reading, her hobbies are swimming, boating, learning to play trumpet, and flying airplanes. “Her stepdad is a pilot, so we started spending a lot of time flying,” said Robertson. “Now, Desiree’s gotten the bug to learn to fly. She’s getting ready to start flying lessons and wants to get her student pilot license when she’s 16.”