*Demetria Coley has become the youngest person to graduate from the Florida State University College of Nursing, completing the program at 18 years old, FSView reports.
At an age when most teenagers are finishing high school, Coley had already earned her Associate of Arts degree from Tallahassee State College and received her high school diploma — all by the time she was 15. From there, she tackled additional coursework at Florida A&M University to fulfill nursing prerequisites, then made her way to FSU where she enrolled in the nursing program in spring 2025.
Coley is characteristically understated about the milestone. “I’m just glad that I’m able to walk across the stage,” the Tallahassee native aid.
Her passion for healthcare was shaped well before graduation. Coley worked with the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, volunteered in the Emergency Department at Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare, and completed a preceptorship at Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies.
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Though she initially set her sights on surgery, she ultimately chose nursing for the level of connection it allows with patients.
“Surgeons fix the issue, but they don’t get to really interact with the patients as much and really take care of them as in-depth as a nurse would,” she explained.
Behind every milestone is a deeply personal motivation. Coley lost her mother, Elicia, to ovarian cancer in November 2020 and has carried that loss as fuel. “I decided to follow my mother’s footsteps, make her proud,” she said. Her father, a science teacher and department chair, reinforced the value of education throughout her life.
After completing her clinicals at Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare, Coley plans to pursue a career in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit nursing.
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