May 20, 2026 — At Kell High School, before the Class of 2026 walks across the stage, one senior will have already earned a different degree of her own.
Through hard work and determination, Madison Lindsay earned her associate degree from Chattahoochee Technical College while still in high school.
"My mom told me that to save us money because she spent a great deal of it on my sister, that she would not be able to afford to pay for my college if I didn't get some type of head start in scholarships and stuff," said Madison.
Madison began taking dual enrollment classes during her sophomore year, but she said she first tried to take college classes in middle school to get a head start on her college experience.
"What Madison has been able to do is amazing. There are so few people who can accomplish what she did," said Kell principal Peter Giles.
While most students never decide to take dual enrollment classes, Madison pushed herself to do as much as possible from an early age.
On top of that drive to get a head start on her bright future, she was also a member of the Kell volleyball team and maintained over a 4.1 GPA.
"I'm leaving behind a legacy that I know that other people can look at and people who are in my same situation, or even worse, can see that someone took the opportunity and got a whole associate's degree for free, basically," said Madison.
As the Class of 2026 celebrates graduation week, Madison Lindsay is marking the occasion with both her high school diploma and an associate degree from Chattahoochee Tech.
Madison will attend Louisiana State University in the Fall, where she plans to earn multiple degrees in forensic chemistry and forensic pathology.
