RICHMOND, Ky. — It’s graduation season and most universities have or will perform ceremonies soon for graduates. Seniors at Eastern Kentucky University will walk the stage Friday to get their diplomas.

What You Need To Know

  • 19-year-old Joanna Ouyang graduated from Eastern Kentucky University Friday with an international business degree

  • Ouyang took the maximum 21 credit hours in fall and spring semesters, plus 15 credit hours in summer

  • Ouyang was born in Taiwan and moved to America for college at 17-years-old 

  • Over 2,000 degrees will be awarded at Friday's graduation ceremonies at EKU

One of those graduates, Joanna Ouyang, is just 19-years-old and has already completed enough credits to graduate in just her second year of college.

Now, like most graduates, Ouyang is ready to focus on beginning her career.

“Eventually I want to become an entrepreneur and I want to focus on the technology side because that’s our future,” Ouyang said.

Ouyang is graduating with a degree in international business, with honors and plans on going to Harvard or Penn’s Wharton College of Business.

“I always like to do the maximum, so like the maximum for EKU was 21 credit hours a semester and 15 during the summer, so I just did that,” Ouyang said.

The should-be-sophomore moved to America from her native Taiwan at just 17-years-old. Ouyang said she was also able to skip her entire junior year of high school.

She said she missed her family as the global pandemic prevented her from traveling. That’s when she decided to push herself academically.

“During COVID, we couldn’t travel anyways, so I thought I might as well just use my time studying,” Ouyang said.

Ouyang’s professor and mentor, Dr. Qian Xiao called it remarkable.

“I’m very pleased to see at this young age that she had a plan, and she works hard toward that goal,” Xiao said.

Xiao is the faculty adviser for the Society For the Advancement of Management, where Ouyang was the president this past year.

“She also participated with other students in a national SAM competition and we won the first place as a team and she also got two individual awards for first place,” Xiao said.

Over 2,000 graduates will get their diplomas at EKU’s graduation ceremonies.

Ouyang said it was a quick two years, but she’s not ready to slow down for anyone.

“My mom actually calls me all the time. She wants me to defer graduation because she thinks I’m pushing myself a lot and actually whenever she says that, I push myself harder because I just want to show her that I can do it. I’m capable of doing stuff you think I can’t,” Ouyang said.

Ouyang says once she gets her masters, she wants to open a business in multiple countries and become “very rich.”

Remarkably, Ouyang also plays piano and violin with EKU’s orchestra, where she takes private lessons for both instruments.

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