In June 2024, Nicole Atieku graduated from high school with more than a diploma. In the span of one year, she also earned an associate’s degree. Now, at just 19 years old, she is on track to complete her bachelor’s degree before turning 21.
“If I can do it sooner rather than later, while also saving money and being ahead, that was my goal,” said Atieku, a transfer junior at Virginia Tech.
When she walked across the graduation stage at Stafford High School in Fredericksburg, Virginia, Atieku already knew she would not follow the traditional four-year college timeline. Her motivation to move quickly had been years in the making.
During high school, Atieku was accepted into the Commonwealth Governor’s School, a rigorous program that ran alongside her regular coursework. Starting freshman year, she balanced dual-enrollment classes, Advanced Placement courses, and an intensive capstone project that culminated in a 100-page literature review.
By senior year, while many classmates focused solely on college applications, Atieku faced a shift in plans due to family circumstances and uncertainty about her original college choice. Rather than slowing down, she adapted.
The daughter of a single mother and a second-generation Ghanian immigrant, she had grown up watching her mother work tirelessly while pursuing a nursing degree later in life. That example shaped her determination.
Just one week after graduating high school, Atieku enrolled full-time at Germanna Community College, taking 16 credits in the summer semester alone. From there, she accelerated rapidly. While most students might take 12 to 15 credits per term, Atieku pushed far beyond and took up to 24 credits at once while maintaining a 4.0 GPA.
Her day was packed with labs, lectures, and business courses that filled her color-coded Google calendar. When she reached the credit limit, she did not back down.
“The maximum [credits] you’re allowed to take is 18, but I wanted more,” she said. To find out how, she reached out to the administration. “I asked who I could get in contact with to override it.”
After contacting the administrators, she met with the dean. “He sat me down and asked, ‘Are you okay and are you sure you want to do this?’ He supported my decision and warned that he would check up on me often.”
The workload was not easy, but Atieku was never deterred from the challenge. With family support behind her and a clear goal in mind, she approached each semester with the same energy and focus. Her interest in accounting, first sparked by an introductory high school course, was solidified at Germanna.
“There’s a stigma around attending community college from high school,” she said. “But it really pushed me to figure out what I wanted to do.”
In May 2025, less than a year after high school graduation, Atieku earned her Associate of Science in business and transferred to Virginia Tech as a junior, skipping her sophomore year entirely. That fall, she began studying accounting and information systems in the Pamplin College of Business.
Transferring to a large university can be challenging, but Atieku arrived with the same ambition that pushed her through community college. She sought out connection early, joining the Transfer Experience living-learning community in Newman Hall.
“I have met all of my friends here,” she said.
Though she slightly reduced her course load, she remained highly involved on campus, joining the Accounting Society and Collegiate Women in Business, attending nearly every business-related event.
“Nicole is very enthusiastic, a go-getter and has a lot of drive; she is constantly doing something,” said Sneha Kalyan, a business information technology major and Atieku’s mentor.
By the end of her first semester at Virginia Tech, Atieku had already reached one of her most significant goals: securing an internship. She accepted a position as a Summer 2026 Embark Scholar with KPMG, one of the Big Four accounting firms.
Looking ahead, she plans to pursue graduate school through Virginia Tech’s accelerated master’s program.
“Nicole has always been a strong and determined young lady, and watching her glide through her college career has been nothing short of extraordinary,” said Cynthia Appiah-Baiden, Atieku’s mother. “I am extremely proud of who she is becoming and the example she is setting for her younger siblings.”
To Atieku, the speed of her journey is not what defines it. Instead, she sees it as a reflection of possibility –what happens when preparation, ambition and self-discipline come together.
As a second-generation immigrant, she honors the sacrifices behind her opportunities. As the oldest daughter, she carries responsibility with strength.
As a transfer student, she has shown resilience and adaptability, and as a young woman of color in business, she stands among a growing number of female leaders entering fields that men have long dominated.
Her journey, she hopes, can inspire other students who may be unsure of their path, reminding them that there is more than one way –and more than one timeline –to achieve their goals.