Boston O’Hair used Texas Tech K-12 to get ahead in high school, fast-forwarding his future.
Sometime in middle school Boston O’Hair told his dad Micah that school was just too slow.
Besides being bored in school, he felt like he was wasting time when he could have completed assignments quicker not sitting through regular classes. He complained to his father about this on many occasions; Micah told him to hang on until high school where he could start taking dual credit and get ahead of the game.
Starting the summer between eighth and ninth grade and continuing during regular semesters through 10th grade, he completed college algebra, trigonometry, pre-calculus, calculus one – and then he ran out of math classes.
“I’m like, well, shoot, now what?” Boston laughed, remembering how he was slowed down once again.
At 16 years old, Boston finished high school through Texas Tech K-12, the university’s asynchronous, fully online school district. He is now enrolled in Texas Tech University’s Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering as a sophomore industrial engineering major in the Department of Industrial, Manufacturing, & Systems Engineering.
One could say he hit the accelerator to earning his bachelor's degree.
Discovering a Speedier Way
If the O'Hairs knew about Texas Tech K-12 back then, things might have gone even faster. They didn’t discover the university’s online school until Boston had already completed the dual credit courses through South Plains College. And because Texas Tech K-12 is approved by the TEA, he could even have transferred to the program in junior high and perhaps accelerated even more.
As it was, Boston completed the hours he had left of his entire senior year in just a couple of months. He would have moved even quicker, except that the school’s policy dictates a course can’t be finished in less than 30 days. He loved being in an environment where he could finally set his own pace.
“I was able to do exactly what I needed to do within a perfect time frame,” Boston said excitedly, remembering the breakneck speed with which he completed those last classes. “Really, there were no time constraints other than the 30 days, which was completely fine. I didn’t have to wait for teachers to give lectures about things, I didn’t have to wait for them to hand me the homework. I had it all at my disposal.”
Aside from the book-learning, Boston was able to hone his time management skills, because he was working at his own speed, doing his own thing. Another skill he acquired was learning from examples, rather than having a teacher or somebody else spend time explaining concepts to him.
Boston added that the Texas Tech K-12 teachers were very helpful; he could email them if necessary, and they would get back to him in a timely way so he could keep moving ahead. Another staff member also helped fuel his journey.
Shelley Montgomery, Boston’s Texas Tech K-12 advisor, was delighted to map out his plan for getting the young scholar quickly through his needed credits.
“Boston is very self-motivated and conscientious, as well as being very polite,” Shelley said with a chuckle. “When he came to my office, I asked him if his dad had to push him. He replied that this is what he wanted. Micah reiterated, saying, ‘This was all Boston’s idea.’”
For someone hurtling headlong toward finishing high school, Boston’s favorite part was flexibility.
“I had time to do exactly what I needed to do,” Boston reiterated. “I didn’t have to sit in a classroom for hours upon hours, just wondering why I was there.”
At the Starting Line
Boston was no stranger to Texas Tech. Being a Lubbock local, he had the opportunity to participate in TexPREP, a math, science and engineering summer enrichment program for sixth to 12th graders. The pre-freshman engineering program is administered through Texas Tech’s Department of Mathematics & Statistics. Boston valued the social interactions with other students like himself. The endeavor also ignited his interest in engineering, although it helped that Micah holds two degrees in industrial engineering and an MBA. He earned his undergraduate degree from Texas Tech in 2006.
Boston’s dad stays connected to the Whitacre College by serving on the Industrial Advisory Board for industrial and systems engineering, just completing his sixth year in the volunteer role. Also, Micah has sponsored more than 20 student senior design projects over the years.
Boston’s mom, Sally, also earned a degree from Texas Tech in retail management in 2006 in what is now the College of Health & Human Sciences.
Micah said they didn’t “default” Boston to Texas Tech just because they are locals.
“Boston started programming computers a long time ago,” Micah recalled. “The kid's been very STEM-oriented since he was a little boy. And I already knew that Texas Tech has options on a university level to support his interests. Had we been living somewhere else where that hadn’t existed – while this would have been difficult – we would have figured out a way to get our 16-year-old into college somewhere else.”
Boston laughs and says he chose Texas Tech because his parents wouldn’t let him go anywhere else at 16.
“But that’s just an excuse that I have used,” Boston admitted. “I just love Lubbock, and I didn’t really want to leave – and Texas Tech just seemed like the place to go.”
Micah says he is not the coddling type. He and Sally are the type of parents who help set goals, are supportive of the things Boston wants and will help him attain them. Micah promised a long time ago that Boston could bring anything up for discussion.
“I told him, ‘I will tell you the honest-to-God truth about whatever it is. And before you leave my household, you will know what you need to know to be ready for the world,’” Micah said, with his eyes starting to well up. “And so, anyway, that’s been my promise to him, which I will finish fulfilling — perhaps on a bit faster track than we were expecting.”
But for now, as a mom, Sally especially is happy with Boston pursuing his degree while living at home with her and Micah, his four younger siblings and three cats. Boston enjoys playing chess in his free time, and he has avoided being too involved in student organizations, choosing to “chill” after the intense two months that closed out his high school experience.
Pedal to the Metal
Sixteen-year-old sophomores are not a common occurrence on university campuses. But the age difference doesn’t seem to bother anyone.
“Being in college at 16 is pretty cool, I’d say,” Boston stated, nodding his head. “If you’re a ninth grader, and you’re looking at the juniors and seniors in your high school, you’re like, ‘Dang, they’re old!’ There’s a massive age gap there.
“But here, I don’t really feel that. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being 16 here. In fact, most other people when I tell them that, well, first of all, they’re confused, like, ‘What, are you sure?’ But then after that, it seems to become their favorite fun fact.”
Even in his college classes, Boston finds ways to stay ahead. He’s discovered that the teachers give the homework, lecture material and everything further in advance than the high schools ever did. He’s able to apply those time management skills he learned in Texas Tech K-12.
“I’m able to get my work done sooner rather than later, and that has helped me be pretty much stress-free in college, or waiting to the last minute to do everything, being very stressed and getting no sleep,” Boston explained, proving wisdom way beyond his age.
Propelling Possibility
Observing the father and son together, one can see with certainty where Boston gets much of his wisdom.
Looking across the room, watching and listening to his son discussing the future, Micah thinks about what it means to him to be Boston’s guide.
“God is good. He’s given me the opportunity to do this for my son, and I appreciate it,” Micah said, with his voice quavering. “It’s one of those deals – “Micah hesitates. “My dad was a great dad, and my mom was awesome, but because neither pursued a career in engineering, I needed an advisor outside my immediate family.
“Finding someone to do that with is difficult, and that’s frankly the reason I’ve been as involved as I have in the industrial engineering department. If I can offer that kind of assistance, many years removed, to the younger ones, I’m happy to do so, because I didn’t have that. And I’m very happy, very pleased, on so many levels, to be able to offer that to Boston.”
He and Boston agree the Texas Tech experience has been a really good ride so far; between Texas Tech K-12 and the university’s offerings, the combination is “absolutely killer,” Micah exclaimed, to the to the point where Boston will likely graduate at 19 years old with an engineering degree. Texas Tech has made his rapid journey possible.
Swiftly heading into his future, Boston said, God willing, he would like to have an opportunity to build and manage massive, complex projects as well as raise a family.
And if what he’s already accomplished is an indication, those goals are not unreachable.
“I decided, ‘Hey, I want my entire senior year done in two months,’ – now, who says such a thing? Who’s going to allow me to do that?” Boston queried incredulously. “I know my previous high school wouldn’t. So, I’m glad that I came here, and y’all were able, y’all were willing, to accept me to be able to do that.”
Find out more about the many programs available throughTexas Tech K-12and the Whitacre College of Engineering