LAKELAND, Fla. — A pair of Polk County siblings made history Friday at Southeastern University (SEU), becoming the youngest graduates the school has seen in four decades.

Just hours before their graduation, Kaitlyn Ostergaard took one last lap across SEU’s campus, taking in what lies ahead.

“It’s a little nervewracking to be honest. My greatest fear is tripping over and falling onto the stage,” she said.

The 16-year-old is no stranger to making big strides. After being homeschooled for most of her life, she started as a dual-enrolled student at SEU when she was just 14 years old. Now, she is one of the youngest students to graduate from the university with a bachelor’s degree. She also surpassed a record held by her brother, Joshua, who graduated last year at 17, and broke a new record Friday as one of the youngest to earn a master’s degree.

“He’s one of my best friends. We have been since we were little kids, but we’ve always had kind of a sibling rivalry and like we always try to rub things in each other’s faces,” she said. “But he always pushes me to be my best. And he always says that even if you do it, like even if you break my record, I’m still going to be so proud of you. It’s an amazing achievement.”

Both teens credit their success to their loved ones, including their mother, Christina Ostergaard, who is a marketing professor at the school.

“I’m so proud of them. They are both not just excellent students but just great people. They bring joy to our lives and they’re just awesome,” she said.

While Joshua plans to attend law school in the fall, Kaitlyn is looking forward to following in her mother’s footsteps.