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Humboldt siblings graduate with 5 diplomas in 2021

-Submitted photo
Siblings Casey and Beth Simmons, of Humboldt, graduated Iowa Central Community College last month with four degrees between them. Beth Simmons will be graduating Humboldt High School on Sunday.

HUMBOLDT — Overachieving runs in the Simmons family.

When Beth Simmons, a senior at Humboldt High School, walks across the stage at graduation on Sunday, she’ll be receiving her second scholastic diploma in a month. In fact, in April, Simmons earned her diploma for an associate’s degree in education from Iowa Central Community College.

But Beth isn’t the only member of the Simmons clan earning diplomas this spring. Her older brother, Casey Simmons, also graduated from Iowa Central Community College last month, earning three associate’s degrees — graphic design, web technology and education — that he earned in just three years.

Both Simmons siblings began taking Iowa Central classes while in high school — some as dual credits at Humboldt High School, and some over the summer through the college.

When Casey Simmons graduated from Iowa Central this spring, he finished with 144 total credits, a feat he was able to do partially through taking summer classes, but also by taking on huge class loads.

“Most semesters, I’ve taken like 20-some credit hours of classes,” he said. For spring 2021, he said he had his lightest class load while at Iowa Central with just 11 credit hours.

“It took quite a bit of effort keeping up with 20 credit hours worth of classes,” Casey Simmons said. “It’s not an easy thing to do most of the time.”

With help from his parents — who have been saving since he was a child, he said — he was able to focus on his education without having to worry about keeping a job at the same time.

Beth Simmons graduated Iowa Central with 66 total credits, finishing her associate’s degree before she even finished high school.

“It’s really satisfying to know I’m like two years ahead of what it would take to usually get where I want to go,” she said.

Both siblings plan on continuing their education through Buena Vista University’s Fort Dodge program located on the Iowa Central campus, and they both plan on studying teacher education. Casey Simmons has plans to become an elementary school teacher, while Beth Simmons wants to be a special education teacher.

“I’ve always kind of been drawn to students with difficulties,” Beth Simmons said. “I had a friend in school who had some trouble and I liked helping them in class while I was learning it too, so I figured I’d be a pretty good person to do it after I learned it as well.”

With their overlapping interest in education, the siblings were able to take some of their classes together, including children’s literature, tech in the classroom and chemistry lab.

Both siblings credit their mother, Jennifer Simmons, as a huge part of their academic success.

“My mom was a huge help in organization and planning,” Beth Simmons said.

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