Jazmine Williams, 18, goes to a public high school with students from almost every continent.

“Whether it be black from here or from the Caribbean, South America, Africa, Asia — there’s people from everywhere,” she said. “Except for Antarctica and probably Australia."

She said her school is academically tough.

“Freshman and junior year was definitely an academic challenge, especially because my school was math centered,” she said. “Those used to be my strong suits but once it got harder I kind of hit a snag."

Williams is earning a Regents diploma – it’s the most common high school diploma issued to graduating seniors.

There are three different categories of high school diplomas offered to graduating students in New York State: a regular diploma called the Regents, a Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation, and a Local Diploma, which is an option for some students with disabilities. (Meet a South Bronx student earning the top diploma, here).

Students have to pass five Regents exams with a score or 65 of higher to get a Regents diploma. For the advanced option, students need to pass three additional tests and take more language classes other than English.

“I don’t really mind that it’s a regular Regents diploma — or just a regular diploma in general — because it’s not [about] the diploma I get,” she said. “It’s the actual work I have to do and what I’ve been through in high school.”

Jazmine was in gifted and talented programs in middle school, but in high school she barely passed chemistry and had to repeat geometry. Still, she said, she always pushed herself. Sometimes, a little too much: she took pre-calculus, algebra two/trigonometry and physics all in her junior year. This year, she wanted to try calculus but her counselors advised against it.

“Not to stress me out is what they usually say,” Williams said. “They knew that I’ve had problems and I’ve had issues since freshman year with math, and since they realized that they were like ‘we don’t want to stress you out anymore.’”

Instead, she took Java/Object-Oriented Programming. She liked it but said she still may try calculus at Goucher College in Baltimore, where she starts this fall.