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    "slug": "17-and-done-with-college",
    "headline": "17 and done with college",
    "deck": "Rainey Spurlock, 17, of Palmer became UAA's youngest ever graduate this weekend, earning a communications degree.",
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    "published_at": "2026-05-07T20:00:00+00:00",
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    "body_md": "Rainey Spurlock, 17, of Palmer became the youngest person to graduate from the University of Alaska Anchorage since the school began keeping records in the 1990s. She walked at UAA's spring commencement on Sunday at the Alaska Airlines Center, earning a degree in communications.\n\nRainey started taking classes at UAA when she was 13, while still enrolled at Mat-Su Central, the Mat-Su Borough hybrid homeschooling school. Because she was too young to attend classes alone, her grandmother Brenda Spurlock enrolled in the same courses and studied alongside her for years.\n\nRainey gave the undergraduate commencement address on Sunday and used most of her time at the podium to credit her grandmother for making her college path possible.\n\nRainey is also a working actress with credits across television, film, and video games, including a role in Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order. For families in Palmer, Wasilla, Big Lake, Houston, and at Mat-Su Central, her graduation is one of the standout local stories of the spring.",
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    "summary": "Rainey Spurlock, 17, of Palmer became the youngest person to graduate from the University of Alaska Anchorage since records began in the 1990s. She walked at UAA's spring commencement earning a communications degree, with her grandmother Brenda Spurlock, who attended classes alongside her for years.",
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      "Rainey Spurlock, 17, of Palmer is the youngest person to graduate from UAA since the school began keeping records in the 1990s",
      "She walked at UAA's spring commencement on Sunday at the Alaska Airlines Center and earned a degree in communications",
      "She started taking UAA classes at age 13 while still enrolled at Mat-Su Central",
      "Her grandmother Brenda Spurlock enrolled in the same classes and attended with her for years because Rainey was too young to attend alone",
      "Rainey gave the undergraduate commencement address and credited her grandmother",
      "She is a working actress with credits in TV, film, and the video game Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order"
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        "a": "She's 17 years old.",
        "q": "How old is Rainey Spurlock?"
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        "a": "She's the youngest person ever to graduate from the University of Alaska Anchorage since the school started keeping records in the 1990s.",
        "q": "What record did she set at UAA?"
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        "a": "She graduated with a degree in communications.",
        "q": "What degree did she earn?"
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        "a": "Her grandmother Brenda enrolled in the same classes and sat in with her for years because Rainey was too young to attend alone.",
        "q": "How did her grandmother help?"
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        "claim": "Rainey started taking classes at UAA at age 13 while enrolled at Mat-Su Central, and her grandmother Brenda enrolled with her.",
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