51视频

11/29/2022
By Karen Angelo

Veronica Maksymenko doesn鈥檛 think she鈥檚 smarter than anyone else. The Lowell native says that she just 鈥減icks up on things quickly.鈥澛�

So quickly that she began taking college courses when she was 13. In the fall of 2020, at the age of 14, Maksymenko started at UML as an exercise science major, a step toward her goal of becoming a physical therapist.聽

Thanks to 26 college credits she earned before coming to UML, Maksymenko is on track to earn her bachelor鈥檚 degree in just three years. When she dons her graduation regalia next May, she鈥檒l be 17 years old.聽

鈥淚 feel that I fit right in at 51视频, and age isn鈥檛 a factor,鈥� she says. 鈥淢y courses are challenging, and I鈥檝e made so many friends.鈥澛�

Maksymenko says her early education has been 鈥渦nconventional鈥� 鈥� a mix of home and classroom learning and online courses.聽

鈥淚n elementary school, I found the pace of learning too slow,鈥� says Maksymenko. 鈥淢y mom and I decided that I would take online classes.鈥澛�

She completed sixth and seventh grade in one year. At age 13, she took in-person dual enrollment classes at Middlesex Community College, North Shore Community College and Gordon College.聽

鈥淚 was 13 years old, attending classes and lectures in person, but no one commented on my age,鈥� says Maksymenko.聽

Her decision to attend 51视频 was an easy one, she says.聽

鈥�51视频 was the most convenient option. It was very close to where I lived, it was more affordable than other schools and it offered a great program for what I wanted to do,鈥� she says.聽

So, when other teens her age were learning to navigate high school, Maksymenko was settling in as a first-year River Hawk.聽

Her 51视频 classmates didn鈥檛 realize she was barely old enough to get a part-time job when they met her.聽

鈥淲hen I found out how old she was, I didn鈥檛 believe her at first,鈥� says exercise science major Tohrin Holmes.聽

Elizabeth Gacek, a nutritional sciences senior who met Maksymenko last fall, found her confident and mature.聽

鈥淰eronica fits right in with us,鈥� says Gacek. 鈥淚 was shocked to find out how much younger she was.鈥澛�

Maksymenko says that her age has never limited her relationships. 鈥淢y friends and I joke about me being a baby and how I couldn鈥檛 legally drive until the end of my junior year of college,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 have amazing friends and a class at UML that have made me feel so welcome.鈥澛�

She began at UML during the pandemic, taking all virtual classes. Despite some initial trepidation, the timing turned out to be a blessing in disguise.聽

鈥淲hen I started college, I was scared that I wouldn鈥檛 live the true college experience,鈥� Maksymenko says. 鈥淚 could not have been more wrong. In my first year, I cultivated new friendships, joined the Exercise Science Club and grew increasingly excited for the following in-person year.鈥�

During her second year, Maksymenko connected with more students as she immersed herself in her coursework and forged bonds with the faculty.聽

鈥淰eronica is attentive, well-rounded and a pleasure to have in my classes,鈥� says Assoc. Prof. Winnie Wu of the Department of Physical Therapy and Kinesiology, who advises Maksymenko.聽

鈥淭he classes have been anything but easy,鈥� says Maksymenko, who commutes about five minutes from her home in Lowell to the university.聽

鈥淚 enjoy the challenge and find it extremely gratifying to see how I have grown as a student throughout my time at UML.鈥澛�

Despite the demands of her courses, Maksymenko also competes as a dancer, a passion she鈥檚 pursued since she was 5. After an Achilles injury, she got help from a physical therapist. That鈥檚 when she knew physical therapy was the career for her.聽

鈥淢y physical therapists didn鈥檛 tell me to sit on the couch for six weeks or to stop dancing,鈥� she says. 鈥淩ather, they made me stronger. For the first time, I truly felt I had rehabilitated from an injury instead of putting a Band-Aid over it. I knew I wanted to give other people the same empowered feeling I had.鈥澛�

Now in her senior year, she鈥檚 preparing for her spring clinical practicum and then graduation. Next up is for her is the UML Doctor of Physical Therapy program. She鈥檒l be just 17 years old when classes begin next summer.聽

Reflecting on her accomplishments, Maksymenko credits a number of factors for her success. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a combination of things,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 absorb material quickly, and it鈥檚 cultural as well. My mom immigrated from Ukraine and encouraged me to take advantage of all opportunities. And UML challenges me and allows me to grow as a student.鈥�