It’s not every day that a student takes on the academic world of the Ivy League.

But Latrell Broughton, 18, a Beaufort County resident since the age of 5 and the son of Michael and Loretta Ebison, is doing just that. He graduated from Beaufort County Early College High School and is now attending Amherst College as of this fall.

Amherst, located in Massachusetts, is often grouped into the category of “Little Ivies,” a title given because of the college’s academic reputation, although it is not included in the main Ivy League universities, such as Yale or Harvard.

Broughton attributes his success to the good opportunities he’s had, especially from the Early College, and his unwavering focus on academics.

“I thought the opportunity I got was so good that it would make no sense to not go (to the Early College),” he said. “I feel like if I went to a standard public school … I wouldn’t be able to focus on my education.”

Broughton said he enjoyed the close-knit environment of the Early College, where everyone knows each other. Students who attend the school are placed on a five-year track to earn a high school diploma as well as an associate degree. Broughton earned an Associate of Arts degree.

“My mom, she always used to tell me it’s all right if you got a ‘C’ if you were a ‘C’-level student,” he said.

But it was his mother’s belief that he was more than a C-level student that pushed him to do better and perform at a higher level.

“She’s always been like very, very focused on education,” Broughton said.

The idea to apply to Amherst came from a friend who was already attending the college, Broughton said.

He said he also applied to North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC-Greensboro. But despite Amherst not accepting any of his credit hours, the college offered him a $65,000 scholarship, so it actually made more sense financially to go there.

“When I first got here, I felt the need to go to every event and introduce (myself) to everybody else,” Broughton said. “You have to take time for yourself and develop your confidence.”

He said he is studying political science at Amherst, but he also wants to take time to grow as a student during his time in college. He said he thinks other students should remember that success is about more than test scores.

“I think students think they’re only as good as their awards or their achievements,” Broughton said. “I just really want to grow up and mature. … I want to be in a position where I don’t have to worry.”

But mostly, he’s just thankful for the opportunities in his life and remains excited for the future.

“No education means doors closed,” Broughton said. “I think that education was the key to really doing what you want to do in life.”