Listen to Savannah on 95.7.

Watch Savannah’s interview on WZZM-13.

While most high school seniors were preparing for prom and final exams last spring, one Grand Rapids student was also preparing for college commencement and law school.

This May, Savannah Remijn walked across not one, but two graduation stages — one for her high school diploma and another for a bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies from Davenport University. The 18-year-old accomplished this feat through a combination of homeschool co-ops, strategic dual enrollment, summer courses and a steadfast commitment to her goals.

“It usually shocks a lot of people,” Remijn said. “It wasn’t because I had to. I still hung out with friends, had a boyfriend and went to sporting events. I did everything a ‘normal’ high schooler would do — I just also finished college.”

 

How it works / how she got there

Dual enrollment programs allow high school students to take college courses while still in high school, earning both high school and college credits with each course. This can be a great way for students to get a head start on their college education, save money on tuition and reduce the time it takes to complete a degree.

Felicia Pope, assistant director of high school admissions at Davenport, is tasked with working with school districts in Michigan and helping high school students define their path forward and schedule classes to best fit their academic objectives.

“Parents can talk to their school and push for dual enrollment programs,” said Pope. “If the student body is interested, they can partner with Davenport. Students can take up to 10 classes using state funding. Homeschool students can partner with public schools, too.”

Davenport University offers multiple pathways, such as combined degree programs, articulation agreements, prior learning credits, dual enrollment and the Early Middle College program to help students get a jump start on their education while reducing the overall cost of their degree. 

“It’s a really great opportunity. At minimum, students can explore possible career paths with classes like Intro to Marketing or Intro to Cyber Defense and have a lighter college class load when they graduate,” said Pope. “Often, they’ll get an associate degree or certifications – some type of credential under their belt. Savannah took it a few steps further and completed a full four-year degree.”

A Family Rooted in Education

Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Remijn grew up in a home where education was a priority and both her parents are committed to making sure their kids get a good education.

Remijn started out in private school, attending as a Spanish immersion student until the 4th grade. Her mom felt it was important for her and her siblings to learn a second language. It was at that time that her aunt started a home-school co-op with other moms who were also teachers. Remijn decided to give it a try and took to both the format and flexibility.

“After that, my mom was in charge of finding my co-ops and such,” said Remijn. “She knew she wasn’t a teacher and needed to have outside help. She did a lot of research and worked to find the right programs for me and my sisters.” 

Remijn began taking college courses as a high school freshman through dual enrollment. By sophomore year, she was diving into engineering courses, but after some career testing and a legal studies course at Davenport in her junior year, her path shifted.

“Everything kept pointing to law,” she said. “Lawyer, paralegal — that’s what kept coming up.”

She continued her work at Davenport, building credits through flexible online courses. Her summers included 7-week accelerated college classes to stay ahead. By senior year, she was taking a larger-than-average college load with all her time spent on college classes. 

“My mom spent a lot of time doing research and learning about my options, and Felicia Pope was helpful and supportive throughout my entire time at Davenport,” Remijn said. “She scheduled classes and changed classes for us. She would let me know if she thought the course load I wanted to do would be a bit too much. While I didn’t always listen, she was usually right.

“It really was the best of both worlds — I got to enjoy high school and earn a degree at the same time,” she said.

Her next chapter

To meet Davenport’s bachelor’s degree requirements, Remijn interned at Parakletos Law in Hudsonville, an estate planning firm where one of her Davenport professors served as lead attorney. There, she got to do actual legal work: drafting documents, sitting in client meetings and assisting with estate plans.

“I learned so much about the profession,” she said. “It confirmed that this is what I want to do. Both the attorneys I worked for were very good at teaching. They spent a lot of time investing in me, which I appreciated.”

It also helped her confirm she wanted to go to law school. 

In January of Remijn’s senior year, she applied for, and received, an age exemption allowing her to take the LSAT, the law school entrance exam, at 17. In March, she was accepted to her first choice law school.

“I said, ‘I’m going to do this and see if I get in. If I don’t get in, I won’t go. If they don’t give me a scholarship, I won’t go.’ When I found out I’d achieved both, I knew I had a big decision to make.”

Remijn then made the difficult decision to defer her acceptance for a year.

“I was diagnosed with Lyme disease the summer before senior year, and the stress affected my health,” she said. “I wanted to be 100% ready. Law school is no joke.”

She’s taking a year to gain real-world legal experience, recover and prepare.

“It was really, really hard to make that choice,” she said. “But I want to give law school my best. That means taking care of myself first. Just a little bit of time to breathe will be good for that.”

Advice to Others

For students considering dual enrollment or accelerated learning paths, Remijn said, “Don’t let anyone tell you it’s too hard. It’s not too hard — it just takes work. You don’t have to give up your childhood. I didn’t.”

And now, she has something most high schoolers don’t: a diploma, a degree, a job as a para-legal and a goal. 

“We’re all so incredibly proud of Savannah and the work she’s done to achieve her dreams,” said Pope. “Dual enrollment has long been a way for students to get a taste of college. It’s an amazing opportunity I wish more students explored.”