Madison Ackley’s Remarkable Achievements

Story and photo by the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point

It’s all about the numbers for 18-year-old Madison Ackley, who will break several records when she graduates from UW-Stevens Point May 20 with a degree in accounting. She will be the youngest graduate in 41 years, the second youngest overall, the youngest female and the youngest Native American to ever graduate from the university.

Was it her lifelong plan to graduate at an early age? Actually, the journey started only a few years ago in her hometown of Crandon. By the time Ackley was in eighth grade, she had exceled through all the math courses available at her middle school. School leaders moved her into a high school course.

“That one class opened the door for me to start taking college courses once I was in high school,” said Ackley. “I took advantage of the opportunity immediately. I loved that class and knew I needed to take more.” At the time, her high school did not offer many college courses or help cover the cost. But she took the initiative to find classes that would fit both the needs for her future career in accounting and her high school requirements.

Her hard work and perseverance paid off, with Ackley finishing high school in just two years. At age 16, she graduated and moved to Stevens Point to pursue her bachelor’s degree at UW-Stevens Point. She followed in the footsteps of her aunt, Megan Gerber, ’07, who also studied accounting.

Read the full story here.

View the WJFW story and video here. View the WAOW story and video here.