When Oscar Agueda walks across the stage to receive his bachelor’s degree from CSU Pueblo on May 17, something unusual will happen. He’ll have to wait two days before he can pick up his other diploma.

That’s because the 18-year-old Colorado Springs resident won’t graduate from high school until May 19.

Agueda started taking college classes when he was 14, through Colorado Early Colleges (CEC) in Colorado Springs, a high school that specializes in helping students earn college credits while completing their high school requirements. While most of his classmates will graduate with associate degrees, Agueda went further. He earned 120 credit hours and a Bachelor of Social Work degree before finishing high school.

“I can’t believe it,” Agueda said during a recent interview, just days before graduation. “It’s been an incredible four years, and I hope to do more in the future.”

His achievement may mark a second time for CSU Pueblo. Registrar Carol Larson says he is the second student in 10 years to earn a high school diploma and a bachelor’s degree through the university. The path wasn’t entirely smooth. Agueda recalled struggling with a philosophy ethics class during his freshman year that challenged his tendency to see things in black and white. “There were assignments that asked questions where there’s no clear right or wrong answer,” he said. “It was a little tricky for me because I tend to see things as binary. But rather, they were different shades of gray.”

The experience taught him about different perspectives. It’s a lesson that connects to his future career goals. Agueda plans to work with lower-income communities, inspired partly by his Catholic faith and the belief that “we should all love our neighbor.”

“There’s a lot of hatred and suffering towards people for many different reasons,” he said. “I want to be a part of a society of a new generation where society is more united and where society is more open to serving each other.”

Through CSU Pueblo’s partnership with his high school, Agueda took classes at Pikes Peak State College, where the university rented space. The arrangement allowed him to pursue his degree while staying in Colorado Springs. His school covered the costs, too. He estimates he saved over $15,000 in tuition alone.

But earning a college degree didn’t mean missing out on typical high school experiences. Agueda went to prom the Saturday before his interview and regularly hangs out with friends at restaurants. “I still live and do high school things in the most normal way possible,”  he said.

His parents feel “very relieved” about not having to help with college costs, Agueda said. They’re the kind of parents who believe if you want to accomplish something that won’t harm others, “then go for it.”

Starting college early means Agueda can begin serving his community sooner. He sees those extra years as time he can dedicate to helping others. This fall, he’ll start working on his Master of Social Work degree at CSU Pueblo, continuing his accelerated academic journey.

“It just gives me more time to serve the community,” he said. “Having most of my schooling done basically gives me more time to serve the community. That is a huge blessing.”