![\"A](\"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2025\/08\/abigail-mena-feature-resized-1024x683.png\")
When Abigail Mena \u201925<\/strong> walked across the commencement stage this summer, she became one of the youngest students to earn a bachelor\u2019s degree at UCF. For her, the milestone shows not only her own determination, but also the unwavering support of her family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Her journey to a bachelor\u2019s degree was an accelerated one, as Mena received her high school diploma through Florida Virtual School at only 12 years old and her associates degree at Polk State College at 15 years old. Through the Transfer Connect to UCF program, she decided to continue her journey as a Knight studying psychology. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her choice to study psychology began with a belief that listening can be just as powerful as medicine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPsychotherapy \u2014 simply talking with people \u2014 is something we can all do. If you\u2019re a good listener, you can help someone. That\u2019s what I like most about psychology,\u201d Mena says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Her educational journey didn\u2019t end at commencement, inspired by UCF\u2019s reputation in space research, she hopes to take her education to space. Mena has decided to keep her future career options open, as she is currently working toward her master\u2019s in criminal justice at UCF with hopes to move on to medical school. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAttending here at SpaceU inspired me to hopefully become a physician astronaut for NASA,\u201d Mena says. \u201cYou don\u2019t often hear of psychiatrists becoming astronauts. I\u2019d like to do research in space mental health and contribute in that way.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mena has decided to keep her future career options open, as she is currently working towards her master\u2019s in criminal justice at UCF with hopes to move on to medical school. <\/p>\n\n\n\n She shares that her academic pursuits and achievements would be possible without her strongest support system: her family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy parents taught me that as long as we believe in ourselves and put school first, we can achieve anything we want,\u201d Mena says. \u201cBeing part of such a close family has kept me motivated.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n Her mother, Claudia Mena, says that even as a young child, Abigail had exhibited a desire to help others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe has always been like this. If I was cooking, she would try to see what she could do to help. In her heart, she has always wanted to help,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen she learned to speak, she said she wanted to be a doctor or an attorney.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Claudia Mena says that seeing her daughter accomplish her dreams at such a young age means a great deal to her family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSeeing her walk at graduation at such a young age was incredible. Abigail is showing that with determination, you can make what seems impossible, possible,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Abigail Mena says she\u2019s made many memories as Knight, but the ones with her family mean the most to her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI always felt like \u2018Young Sheldon.\u2019 Even though I was primarily an online student, whenever I came to campus, I brought my mom and brothers with me for support,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For future Knights who are interested in getting college credit early, she offers some advice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI would advise high school students to look into dual enrollment at their local colleges. I know it\u2019s a long process, and I\u2019m glad my mom was patient enough to help me through it,\u201d Mena says. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Psychology graduate Abigail Mena becomes one of UCF\u2019s youngest Knights, with her sights set on medical school and space. Written by: Emily Dougherty | August 28, 2025 When Abigail Mena \u201925 walked across the commencement stage this summer, she became one of the youngest students to earn a bachelor\u2019s degree at UCF. For her, the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":250,"featured_media":34812,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[38,13,22,28,30],"tags":[736,2783],"class_list":["post-34811","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news","category-news","category-psychology-departments","category-top-news","category-undergraduate-student-news","tag-college-of-sciences","tag-psychology"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Five](\"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2025\/08\/DSC09861-copy-1024x683.jpg\")