Awesome Teens: Idaho Falls Teen Graduates HS with AA Diploma; plans to study nuclear engineering

IDAHO FALLS — Ava White graduated as a salutatorian from Idaho Technical Career Academy (ITCA) last week. Earlier this month, she graduated cum laude from the College of Eastern Idaho, earning an Associate of Science degree in general studies.

After spending the last four years devoting much of her free time to studies – working up to 18 hours a day on homework, according to her father Dain White – Ava will take another class this summer. Then, in the fall, she will attend Idaho State University, majoring in nuclear engineering.

“I always knew I was interested in science,” Ava said when asked what attracted her to the major. “I wanted to do a lot of things in my life, and it seemed like science was really the way to do that.”

Ava was born in northern Idaho – in Moscow. Her family moved to Idaho Falls when she was 10 years old. That’s when INL and a potential scientific career were discussed. Having graduated from high school and already earned an associate's degree is a feather in his aspiration to take a position at INL. And she thanks ITCA for achieving this.

She was born with a trio of health conditions—hypermobile Ehlers Danlos syndrome, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, and Raynaud syndrome—that made taking ITCA online classes much easier for her.

Among other symptoms, Ava told EastIdahoNews.com, she regularly experiences dizziness and nausea, and her body sometimes struggles with the cold. So, being able to attend classes without having to walk in the snow is extremely convenient, because she doesn't have to “fight her disability every day” to get to school.

Additionally, Ava began attending ITCA — which has long held online classes and perfected distance learning operations — in 2020, when other schools had to figure out how to do it.

When asked what her plans are in store after earning a bachelor's degree in nuclear engineering, Ava said she plans to continue her graduate studies. As for where, she said she doesn't expect to leave Idaho but would if circumstances were right.

“I really love Idaho. If I can find a better school to go to, of course I'll go wherever the wind takes me. But I definitely don’t want to leave Idaho,” she said.

When she has free time, Ava enjoys the outdoors (symptoms permitting), while playing and listening to music.

“I spend a lot of time on weekends doing homework, but I really enjoy camping and hiking. I'm also crazy about music. I love playing music and I always make time to go to concerts,” she said.

Ava has been playing the marimba – which resembles a xylophone – since she was five and has recently taken up the accordion, kalimba and piano. When asked what kind of music she likes, Ava said she is a big fan of punk music.