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Success at Age 17

What does a teenager do after completing a bachelor's degree? Just
do what Peter Bonstrom did.


By Lydia Rule

For CollegePlus! students and those considering the program, a common question floats to the surface: What is life like after graduating with a distance learning bachelor’s degree? And more importantly, what is the benefit to earning an accredited degree during your high school years?

Peter Bonstrom, who earned his degree through Thomas Edison State College at the early age of seventeen, is now a Certified Public Accountant, or CPA, putting his debt-free bachelor’s degree in business. Peter was very excited about finishing his degree at such a young age. “I felt a great thankfulness to the Lord. My family supported me in many ways. I was very grateful,” he said.

Life After a College Degree

“I studied for the CPA Business Valuation Exam,” Peter said, “It was my first focus [after graduation]. I don’t think I would have been able to pass that exam without the experience of having earned my degree through Accelerated Distance Learning methods.” Having a business degree in accounting was a great asset towards completing the CPA process. In addition, the time Peter saved by completing his degree early helped him build an impressive resume.

After passing the exam, he had to complete one year of work experience. “I was able to work for a Christian ministry for two years in their finance department and gained invaluable personalized training . Then I got a job with a public accounting firm for three years.” Completing his degree early gave Peter time to get “hands-on work experience” that he wouldn’t have gotten otherwise and prepared him for his first job.

His self-motivated learning skills developed through his undergrad experience also helped prepare him for his current position. “In my job, a lot of research needs to be done. It was a big help to me to be able to do the research myself. I was able to learn new things as an independent learner.”

Stepping Stones

At this point, another question comes to mind: What are the first steps to earning an accredited degree during the high school years? Like small stepping stones, the Accelerated Distance Learning path progresses one exam at a time.

During the course of his high school education, Peter Bonstrom started taking CLEP examinations during the summer months. He discovered that he had already covered most of the study material needed to pass the college level exams in his high school curriculum. “I took basic ones, then it snowballed into further tests,” Peter said. “I was really focused and studied six days a week. I felt like I was accomplishing something exciting, a challenge. I was excited about the level of work I was doing- it wasn’t boring or mundane. It was out of the ordinary. I thought it was a great way to get a jumpstart on the typical higher educational system.”

Peter used a dual credit approach to earning college credits, and by honing his testing skills, he was able to pass the college-level CLEP exams in combination with his high school studies. His test-taking abilities became very important to him when he faced and passed the CPA Business Valuation Exam after graduation. Bonstrom gave all the credit for his achievements to one single thing: “I attribute this to the Lord’s blessing. I’m really grateful to the Lord.”

Lydia Rule is an award-winning writer who has been published over fifty times. She recently finished her B.A. in English through CollegePlus! and graduated from Thomas Edison State College.

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