dailyloe.com – Karis Dryer, at just 15 years old, graduated with a Bachelor of Education in Elementary Education from Liberty University on May 14, 2026.
She is the youngest bachelor’s degree recipient in Liberty University’s Class of 2026, motivated to pursue a career with children.
Alongside her sister Alethia, who graduated at 18 with a Bachelor of Science in Digital Design, Karis’s academic journey began early.
The sisters from Winter Haven, Florida, excelled academically, passing a college entrance exam at ages 10 and 12.
They first enrolled in their local community college before transferring to Liberty University Online Programs to complete their degrees.
Karis’s family has a strong connection to Liberty; her mother Darlene Dryer graduated with a Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Counseling in 2023.
Her great-grandfather, Robert Stewart, also attended Liberty, studying in the Liberty Home Bible Institute.
Darlene Dryer expressed her pride, stating, “It is pretty amazing that when I went to Liberty, I was thinking about my grandad who went there and how proud that would make him feel.”
She added, “Now, me being the alumna and having two daughters graduate from Liberty… it’s special.”
Furthermore, Darlene noted her husband holds five master’s degrees and two doctorates, calling academics a “Dryer family hobby.”
Karis began her studies with Liberty in the summer and found inspiration from a missions trip to Honduras.
She feels a calling toward full-time missions and expressed that Liberty has prepared her for a teaching career, possibly overseas.
“(Liberty) has helped me have a different perspective on what it would be like to teach,” she stated.
Karis appreciates how her elementary education classes emphasize being a Christian in both public and private school settings.
This perspective has helped her develop the mindset needed for her future teaching endeavors.
