Conner started school in Bakersfield, her hometown, when she was 2 years old. She spent a year attending preschool in Texas before moving back to Bakersfield to continue her education. She went to Rosedale North for second grade until Conner and her father moved to Tampa, Florida.
Moving to Tampa allowed Conner to develop relationships with her large family.
She continued public schooling through fifth grade when a teacher suggested Florida’s virtual schooling option. Reflecting on that time period, Conner and her father recall being optimistic about the ability for her to study at her own pace while maintaining freedom in their lifestyle.
“I learned to speed read and speed type. So when it comes to online school, I could read the story, take a test, write a paper — and that allowed me to advance through assignments and grades quickly,” she said. “I ended up completing seven grades in two-and-a-half years, which is how I graduated high school at the age of 12.”
Raised by a single father since she was 1 year old, Conner remembers talking with her dad about college options.
“I thought, how cool would it be to go to college in my hometown where I’d be surrounded by family members and friends?”
While her peers were wrapping up seventh grade, Conner interviewed with CSUB’s associate vice president of enrollment management, and was accepted into the university shortly thereafter.