College degree: check. High school diploma: soon to be checked.

Topsy-turvy, yes, but that’s the case for two Suffolk teens who have graduated from Paul D. Camp Community College ahead of receiving their high school diplomas.

On Friday, Rockwell Shields, a 17-year-old Lakeland High senior, and Kimaya Council, also 17, a senior at King’s Fork High, both graduated from the college with an associate’s degree in general studies-general and a certificate in general education.

The college credentials will put them ahead of the rest of field when, in the fall, Shields attends Old Dominion University and Council begins classes at Norfolk State University.

“I’m not sure how it’s going to transfer yet,” said Shields, who will graduate with honors from Lakeland, is an assistant manager at Subway on Holland Road, and also volunteers as an usher at Liberty Spring Christian Baptist Church.

He will pursue engineering at ODU. “I want to go into the aircraft field – an airplane tech, maybe,” he said. “I’m not sure exactly what.”

Council is on to track to become a doctor. “I know I’m going to medical school” after majoring in biology, pre-med at Norfolk State, “and I know it will take a lot of time,” she said. “So why not cut some time … and get right on it?”

Explaining his decision to take dual enrollment, Shields said he wanted “more of a challenge.”

“I found out about the dual enrollment program toward the end of 10th grade,” he said. “I decided to go for the challenge. It was hard taking some of the online classes.”

Council has been on her school’s cheerleading squad for four years, giving her the chance to participate in several fundraisers, and also volunteered at Lake Prince Woods’ assisted living facility.

She’ll attend Norfolk State and medical school — “I haven’t decided which one,” she said — on a Dozoretz National Institute for Mathematics and Applied Sciences scholarship.

Shields said that not many of his peers at Lakeland know about his dual enrollment. “I kind of kept it under wraps,” he said. “I guess it will be a surprise on graduation, unless some of the administrators let it out before then.”

Shields’ brother, Roman, graduated with him from PDCCC, earning the same degree and certificate. His older brother, Rob attended the college before transferring, and dad Scott also takes classes there.