Colin Scholl ’23 has an immense drive to take advantage of every opportunity that is presented to him. Hence, at age 18, he earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Coastal Carolina University approximately a month before he graduated from high school. 

This rare endeavor happened while he was attending the Scholars Academy, an Horry County Schools high school for gifted and talented students that is advantageously situated on CCU’s campus. While dual-enrolled at the institutions, he desired to take his educational pursuits one step further. By adhering to a comprehensive spreadsheet, coupled with impeccable time-management skills, Scholl configured his schedule to earn his bachelor’s degree. In doing so, he became CCU’s youngest ever graduate on May 5, 2023.

“I am blessed that I didn’t encounter any unexpected difficulties, and I am indebted to the numerous faculty in the Gupta College of Science, Department of Languages and Intercultural Studies, and Registrar’s Office who helped me successfully reach my lofty ambition,” said Scholl. “Walking across the stage during graduation felt like a dream, and honestly I’m still processing the extent of my accomplishment and the inspiration it has been for others.”

A lifelong resident of Myrtle Beach, Scholl is quick to give credit to the small class sizes and emphasis on pedagogy that “CCU prides itself on.” Both allowed him to connect with his professors on a deeper level and helped him discover new opportunities to develop his interests and strengthen his skillset. One such example was a psychological statistics course taught by assistant professor Matthew Murphy, Ph.D., who introduced Scholl to the research on pigeons conducted by the Coastal Comparative Cognition Lab. 

“After speaking with Dr. Murphy, I joined the lab and gained a lot of practical insight into empirical research, not to mention a great mentor to me as a fledgling in the field of psychology,” said Scholl, who has a pigeon in the lab named in his honor. “Had I gone to a bigger institution, I feel as though I wouldn’t have been able to foster as close of a working relationship with my professors. The individualized attention and education I received at Coastal enabled me to prosper and explore the extent of what Coastal has to offer.”

Along with his psychology degree, Scholl earned three minors: Asian studies, Chinese studies, and language and intercultural studies. He also served as a Chinese and Spanish tutor in the Intercultural Language Resource Center (ILRC). During the center’s 2023 Chinese New Year celebration event in January, he spoke only in Chinese while performing in a sketch comedy and played the cello during a small group performance.

Scholl’s plan was to take one Chinese course at CCU. However, Xinyi Tan, Ph.D., assistant professor and ILRC director, encouraged him to pursue his passion for language learning and become a tutor, which has led to his love for teaching.

“It is not an overstatement to say Colin is a once-in-a-decade type of student,” said Tan. “The moment I saw his detailed four-year plan unfold in an Excel file, I realized how special this student was. During the past four years, my experience teaching and mentoring Colin felt like having the best of luck on a treasure hunt. He will make a real difference in this world.”

With a career aspiration of becoming a university professor, Scholl is now pursuing a Ph.D. in psychology with concentrations in bilingualism, language, and cognition at the University of Texas at El Paso.

“Largely inspired by the faculty at Coastal, along with the long line of educators in my family’s history, the idea of being a professor felt almost natural,” said Scholl. “Moreover, working as a tutor in the Intercultural Language Resource Center reaffirmed my interest in education and demonstrated an outlet for me to impart my deeply ingrained love for learning in others. Lastly, as a professor, I hope to be afforded the opportunity to promote the field of psycholinguistics within the next generation of students.”

For Scholl, the experience of graduating early from CCU taught him the importance of exploring new paths and challenging the status quo. 

“In opening doors for yourself, you also generate new possibilities for those who come after you,” he said. “Graduating early was never about earning a degree, but rather maximizing the opportunities presented before me through Horry County Schools and Coastal Carolina University.”