Teen's diploma came with college degree May 19, 2002 REBECA RODRIGUEZ Star-Telegram Staff Writer Most people have to wait at least four years between graduating from high school and graduating from college. Noah Wilkes waited about 10 seconds. The Wichita Falls 18-year-old received his high school> diploma and a bachelor's degree from Midwestern State University on the same stage last week. His high school principal, Lynda Plummer, is thrilled. "There was nothing he couldn't do," she said. Wilkes will head to Texas Tech University in the fall on a fellowship, pursuing a master's degree in electrical engineering. His future is bright, but his achievement was years in the making. He began attending Bright Ideas Charter School and Midwestern when he was 13 years old. He had always been interested in math and science, and by the end of the eighth grade, he had completed the math requirements for high school. At first, he felt a little intimidated by the older students at Midwestern. "In the beginning, I made it a big deal, but once I relaxed and settled into it, it was OK," Wilkes said. Wilkes said the challenge of the concurrent programs really got him going. "I'm particularly lazy, so if there's not a reason for me to learn, I won't," he said. Plummer, a career educator, said that she has seen a lot of success stories but that Wilkes' accomplishment is a first. When Wilkes first arrived in high school, he, like many other gifted students, skated through regular school courses. "Until he came here, he had never really worked in his life," she said. "He was practically sleeping through class." Plummer started Bright Ideas four years ago, realizing that there were many students in the area who were not being challenged. Her own daughter had difficulty in kindergarten for that very reason, she said. "She was expecting all these wonderful things and found that she'd be doing a letter a week," Plummer said. "By Christmas she had decided she just couldn't read and gave up." Because of that experience, Plummer started a private school in Wichita Falls. Four years ago, she received permission to start a charter school. There are 95 students enrolled in Bright Ideas, and Plummer expects double that number in the fall. All but one class have waiting lists, she said. Admission is first-come, first-served. The concurrent program at Midwestern has been in existence for several years and allows students to take college courses for credit while they are still in high school. Several hundred students are enrolled in the program, but Wilkes is the first to graduate at the same time from high school and college. If a student decides to enter the concurrent program, Bright Ideas pays half the tuition and fees to attend Midwestern. The university provides some scholarship money, and the state pays for a portion of the college course materials. ONLINE: www.brightideasschool.com; www.mwsu.edu Rebeca Rodriguez, (817) 390-7754 rrodriguez@star-telegram.com PHOTO(S): Head shot of Wilkes