Forrest Cunningham could very well set a record when he graduates Friday from Bishop Dwenger High School.

He will be 15.

Principal Jason Schiffli couldn't confirm with absolute certainty that the teen is the youngest graduate in school history but wrote in an email it's “quite plausible” he is its only 15-year-old graduate.

Unusually young high school graduates appear to be uncommon locally. District spokespeople contacted for this story could only recall one in recent memory – last year's valedictorian at DeKalb High School who, coincidentally, was also 15.

“It is very, very rare,” DeKalb Principal Matt Toth said, describing the girl as “very mature beyond her years.”

Cunningham has a ready answer about what it feels like to graduate so young.

“I'm just thankful for the position I'm in,” he said.

His father, also named Forrest Cunningham, said he owes a debt to Schiffli, who enrolled his son when other schools wouldn't. Tests indicated the boy – who was home-schooled for a while – was capable of advanced material.

Dwenger didn't accept Cunningham without worry, Schiffli said. Educators were concerned how the boy would adapt socially and about his ability to handle the pressures of a rigorous, college-prep schedule as a 12-year-old.

Cunningham assimilated quickly, the principal said.

“I think (at first) the older students found Forrest to be a novelty and a mystery,” Schiffli wrote in an email. “But soon, they simply enjoyed his company.”

Cunningham attended the Fort Wayne Community Schools Career Academy his junior and senior years, learning about welding and fabrication.

“I love welding. It's so much fun,” he said, adding he hopes to work as a welder part-time in college once he's 18.

Cunningham, who turns 16 in August, plans to study mechanical and civil engineering at Purdue University Fort Wayne. He expects he will be able to adapt to the college environment just as he did to high school.

“I look forward to new experiences,” he said.

asloboda@jg.net

FWCS

• Tickets are available at www.studyconnection.org for Cupcakes & Cocktails, an event supporting Study Connection, Fort Wayne Community Schools' after-school tutoring program. Cost is $25. It is set for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. June 6 at The Philmore on Broadway. For more information, call 260-467-8810.

• Prekindergarten programs at Lindley and Washington elementary schools earned reaccreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the nation's leading organization of early childhood professionals. The accreditation has become a recognized sign of high-quality early childhood education.

• Associated Churches and members of the National Association of Letter Carriers celebrated Study Elementary School for collecting the most food in the annual food drive contest, which benefits the Associated Churches Food Bank. Study collected 1,180 pounds.

Department of Education

• In partnership with the Indiana Office of Technology and the Indiana Information Sharing and Analysis Center, the Indiana Department of Education has announced a new initiative to provide cybersecurity investments in K-12 schools statewide. This includes a state-provided platform for training and awareness on cybersecurity topics for K-12 school personnel; funding for schools interested in offering a cybersecurity high school course; and matching grants of up to $25,000 for schools to improve their cybersecurity posture. The initiative is funded through the Department of Homeland Security.

Scholarships, grants, recognitions

• The following Fort Wayne Community Schools students were awarded scholarships by the FWCS Scholarship Committee: LaShe Hill and Andrew Rhodes of Wayne; Maranda Bradley, Jay Pettit, Lauren Beatty, Niang Chin, Naw Sar Do, Escarvar Tatum, Carol Galicia, Samantha Hall and Garrett Spoelhof of North Side; Allison Waite, Alexis Gonzalez, Donovan Bouwers and Madison Gueber of Northrop; Marci Wallace, Hannah Black, Jenna Habisch, Rebekah Lane and Anna Meinzen of Snider; and Kathryn Hart, Dolores Juarez, Chloe Kersey and Angela Mamani of South Side.

• The following students received the National Merit $2,500 Scholarship: Allyson McBride of Bellmont; Susan Chen of Homestead; Rishubh Jain and Keegan E. McArdle of Canterbury; and Jenna Cummins of Woodlan.

• Nicole K. Gloudemans of Bishop Dwenger won the National Merit Raytheon Scholarship, a corporate-sponsored National Merit award.

• The following Chick-fil-A employees from the Jefferson Pointe location have received the company's $2,500 Leadership Scholarship: Rosemary Burch, Michelle Calloway, Bridgett Eichman, Rita Eichman, Taylor Haupert, Madison Kloster, Maddy Kurtz, Gabe Stein and Grant Yager.

• DeKalb Eastern Community Schools received a $251,000 grant from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development's employer-driven Skill UP Indiana! program.

• Ivy Tech Community College awarded 19 faculty members with the President's Award. The Fort Wayne honoree was Anthony Ramey, assistant professor of business administration. Recipients received a pretax award of $5,000 and a $1,000 grant for instructional supplies and materials.

• Forty-two Ivy Tech students, including Lorena Ceballos and Chadwick Hook of Fort Wayne, were named to this year's Phi Theta Kappa All-Indiana Community College Academic team.

• Marci Franks, food services director for Warsaw Community Schools, was named Food Director of the Year by the Indiana School Nutrition Association.

• Susan Chen of Homestead and Aarnav Lal of Canterbury were among the 40 high school seniors named 2018 Indiana Academic All-Stars, a program of the Indiana Association of School Principals. The organization also recognized 50 Regional Academic All-Stars, including Jenna Cummins of Woodlan, Erik Fowerbaugh of Leo, Eric Nofziger of Angola and John Reith of Bishop Dwenger.

Trine

• A chapter written by Trine University assistant professor Cassandra Bausman is in “Transforming Harry: The Adaptation of Harry Potter in the Transmedia Age,” a new book of academic essays discussing adaptations of the Harry Potter books. Her chapter focuses on the ending of the film “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.”

Students and parents who have a favorite teacher can nominate the individual for Teacher Honor Roll. Send nominations to The Journal Gazette, 600 W. Main St., Fort Wayne, IN 46802; fax 461-8893 or email asloboda@jg.net.

To submit an item, send a typed release from the school or organization to Education Notebook, The Journal Gazette, 600 W. Main St., Fort Wayne, IN 46802; fax 461-8893 or email asloboda@jg.net at least two weeks before the desired publication date.