Wiring Her Own Future: How Niylah Engineered a Path to Two Degrees at HVAM 

Niylah has been a student at Highpoint Virtual Academy of Michigan (HVAM) since 8th grade. This spring, she will complete her 13th year through the Early Middle College (EMC) program and graduate with both a high school diploma and an associate degree. She has officially been accepted to Western Michigan University, where she will study electrical engineering, and has been invited to join the Lee Honors College. 

The student who walks across the commencement stage this spring is not the same one who first enrolled at HVAM. The distance between those two versions of Niylah involved exploration, unexpected turns, personal challenges, and a virtual learning environment that gave her room for both.  

Finding the Right Fit Through Dual Enrollment 

HVAM introduced Niylah to dual enrollment in 9th grade, and she started with coding and cybersecurity courses at Davenport University. She liked the logic behind both subjects, but neither felt like a match. Rather than force it, she moved to Baker College to pursue a general associate degree. The Michigan Transfer Agreement meant she could carry her existing credits forward without losing ground.  

It was Baker’s hands-on coursework that put electrical engineering on Niylah’s radar. The field grabbed her attention because it merges technical problem-solving with tangible work — building, testing, troubleshooting things you can physically touch.  

For someone who has loved science and building things since childhood, electrical engineering connected those early interests to a concrete career path in a way her previous pursuits had not.  

The pull only got stronger through direct exposure. A welding and die casting camp at Western Michigan put her inside a working engineering environment for the first time, and time spent with WMU’s electrical engineering department removed any remaining doubt that she would go there after graduation.  

During her time at Baker College, Niylah earned placement on the President’s List — an achievement that reflects not only academic excellence, but her determination to succeed while balancing significant responsibilities outside the classroom. 

How Virtual Learning Made Exploration Possible 

None of those academic pivots happen without a school built to accommodate them. Before HVAM, Niylah struggled in traditional brick-and-mortar settings. Rigid scheduling and a uniform structure left little room for a student who needed to find her footing on different terms.  

HVAM’s virtual learning model changed that entirely. Niylah is enrolled primarily in asynchronous college courses, which lets her work through demanding material on her own time. But virtual does not mean solo. She participates in weekly HVAM homeroom sessions and biweekly EMC seminars—structured touchpoints that serve as academic check-ins and provide ongoing support from staff. 

That flexibility has been especially critical because Niylah manages two genetic connective tissue disorders that impact her daily life. She works full time while balancing hospitalizations, regular physical therapy, and frequent specialist appointments — all while keeping up with college-level coursework and high school requirements. 

Niylah credits virtual learning with helping her develop confidence, independence, self-discipline, and a stronger sense of her own identity. Those are the same qualities that will matter most when she enters a male-dominated, university-level engineering program.  

Beyond the Books 

Aside from coursework, Niylah competes in the HVAM Esports program, where she started with Rocket League before pivoting to chess. The move tracks with the same pattern that shaped her academic decisions — she tries things, evaluates them honestly, and shifts toward whatever fits better. 

She also balances full-time work alongside her studies, further demonstrating the discipline and time management skills she has built throughout her EMC journey. 

A Future Engineered for Success 

Niylah will start at WMU this fall with years of college coursework already completed, an associate degree in hand, President’s List recognition, and acceptance into the Lee Honors College. 

The Early Middle College program saved Niylah time and tuition, but more importantly, she gained the self-assurance to enter a male-dominated field with her head held high.  

As Niylah prepares to take her next step into engineering, she stands as a powerful example of what is possible when students are given the freedom, flexibility, and support to learn in a way that suits them best.

Ready to build your own future? To learn more about our high school program and how Early Middle College can help you earn a degree while still in high school, visit our academics page. 

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