As a Beaufort County Early College High School student, Elli Pake will walk in two graduations this spring. She will complete her high school diploma and earn two associate degrees from Beaufort County Community College. The dual accomplishment is a strategy to reduce the cost and time it will take to pursue medical school.
“Right now, I am getting an Associate in Science and an Associate in Arts from the community college, and I’ll finish my high school degree this year in the spring,” she said. “Then I plan to go to a four-year university. Whichever one’s the cheapest. I don’t really have high plans for the university. It’s just whichever one’s better for us financially, because I know medical school would be super expensive.”
Planning for a Medical Career
Pake wants to major in biology and become an obstetrician. The goal shapes nearly every decision she is making about where to enroll next.
She has her eye on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and recently applied for the Morehead-Cain Scholarship. “That would be awesome if I got that. I would be very excited,” she said. “I have low expectation and high hopes.”
If Chapel Hill does not work out, she is already admitted to East Carolina University, where staying closer to home could reduce living expenses. “If I’m going to pick based on location, I’m going to pick ECU, because being closer to my family is going to be very helpful,” she said.
Saving Two Years of College Costs
What makes medical school feel possible, Pake said, is that she will finish two years of college while she is still in high school. “The fact that BCCC has allowed me to get an associate’s degree without paying as much is going to help me a lot,” she said. “It’s a big stress reliever to know that two of those years I don’t have to pay for.”
The time savings matter, too. “Graduating two years earlier will be great, because I’ll have my associate’s degree by the time I graduate high school,” Pake said. “I’ll be in medical school until I’m 24 instead of until I’m 26, and that makes a big difference.”
Prepared for the Next Step
Academically, the Early College’s rigor has prepared her for university work, while Beaufort CCC has acclimated her to a college schedule. “The Early College is a very rigorous program,” she said. “And then the classes at Beaufort have helped me get used to a college schedule where I’m not in class every day of the week. I feel very ready for a four-year college, because of both schools.”
Leadership and Service Outside the Classroom
Outside the classroom, Pake brings the same focus to work and service. She is a Beaufort CCC ambassador and part of student government at the Early College. She sings with her church band, dances competitively about 10 hours a week, and works as a lifeguard, but her passion is her business as a private swim instructor.
“I’ve been teaching those for two years, and I’ve probably at least helped in teaching over 200 students how to swim,” Pake said. Teaching has sharpened her judgment in emergencies. “Something happens, I know exactly what to do, and I don’t hesitate for a second,” she said. “It’s very rewarding seeing a kid who was terrified of the water jump in and swim to the wall.”
A Calling to Obstetrics
That mix of composure and care is part of what draws her to obstetrics. “The thought of helping bring life into the world just sounds so rewarding to me,” Pake said. “I know there’s going to be a lot of tragedy that comes with that too, but I’m still really excited about it for the good parts of it.”
She also enjoys the occasional surge of adrenaline when it means stepping up for others. “When something happens and I get to jump in and help, I like it,” she said. “I know that everyone is completely 100 percent safe in my care.”
Looking Ahead
Whether she lands in Chapel Hill or Greenville, Pake plans to keep moving forward with a plan that balances ambition and affordability. “I want to be able to start my life and not be in school until I’m 30 years old,” she said. “Knowing that these two years are paid for has taken a big stress off me.”
For Pake, the calculation is simple. Her two degrees now mean two years saved on the path to medicine. That savings, she believes, can make all the difference.