SALINAS, Calif. (KION) - A 17-year-old Salinas native is graduating from high school with honors this week after graduating from college last week.

But that's not all, Kayla Romero is on her way to Johns Hopkins University in Maryland to study medicine.

Romero was 10 years old when she first participated in a Health Explorer club at Salinas Valley Health Hospital.

Every summer for the last seven years, Romero has participated as a medical student intern.

Now she is on her way to Maryland to pursue her Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees in various disciplines, ranging from humanities, linguistics, and public health.

At the age of 13, she began taking classes at Hartnell College for the STEM program, where she graduated with highest honors this past Friday, May 23.

"I think since I was about 10 years old, I knew I wanted to be in medicine," Romero said. "I wanted to be a reconstructive plastic surgeon and because of the sort of cases that I looked at was why I know I wanted to major in public health."

Kayla is a proud Oaxacan indigenous woman who actively participates in promoting her culture through folkloric dance. She hopes to bring this tradition to Johns Hopkins University.

She is graduating with honors from Salinas High School on Thursday, May 29.