Salenah Cartier never wanted to be known as the young one. She wanted, instead, to be known as Dr. Cartier.
But two things can be true, as evidenced by Cartier鈥檚 graduation earlier this year at age 23 with a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from the 91视频 College of Education. She was the youngest doctoral graduate in UH鈥檚 May 2026 class 鈥 just six years after being hailed as the University鈥檚 youngest undergraduate in 2020 at age 17.
Six months after commencement, Cartier is still defying labels. She鈥檚 a research scientist studying workplace dynamics, a scholar working to publish her research on AI in schools, a New York Fashion Week model and an aspiring pilot. After years of racing through school, Cartier is taking time to see where her interests lead.
鈥淚t was nice to have this time away from school to explore everything,鈥 Cartier said.
鈥淚 used to watch 鈥楽id the Science Kid鈥 (on PBS). I used to call myself Salenah the Science Kid. I just always knew I wanted to be a scientist. But I always wanted to know more about how humans think, how we learn and how we experience the world 鈥 the things that shape our perceptions of life.鈥
- Salenah Cartier
A Young Woman in a Hurry
Cartier had dreamed of becoming 鈥淒r. Cartier鈥 since childhood, with an early interest in science. 鈥淚 used to watch 鈥楽id the Science Kid鈥 (on PBS). I used to call myself Salenah the Science Kid. I just always knew I wanted to be a scientist,鈥 she said. 鈥淏ut I always wanted to know more about how humans think, how we learn and how we experience the world 鈥 the things that shape our perceptions of life.鈥
Growing up in Kingwood, Cartier discovered that being an overachiever isn鈥檛 always easy, as she was bullied in elementary and middle school. Her mother pulled her out of school when she was 11, opting for homeschooling.
鈥淎s an adult now, I understand it,鈥 she said of the bullying. 鈥淲hen children act like that, it comes from a place of hurt. It was especially hard when I became a teacher鈥檚 pet. I faced the consequences of being different.鈥
Using a self-paced homeschool curriculum and dual credit courses, she earned a high school diploma and an associate degree from Lone Star College-Kingwood at the age of 14. A bachelor鈥檚 degree from UH was next on her to-do list. To help cover the cost, she tapped into a budding entrepreneurial streak and began buying college textbooks in thrift stores, selling them online for a profit. She drew upon her innate talent for studying to launch a tutoring business, offering online and in-person sessions.
By December 2020, she had a Bachelor of Science in psychology and a certificate from the Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship at the C.T. Bauer College of Business. Next stop? A master鈥檚 degree in curriculum and instruction from the College of Education, which she earned in December 2021. She began her Ph.D. program the following August.
By then, she was officially 鈥渃ollege age,鈥 and she was determined to experience campus life even as she tackled the research-driven doctoral program.
鈥淢y first year, I went to almost every basketball game on campus,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 wanted that experience. I was 14 to 17 when I was first in college, so from 19 to 23, I wanted that full homecoming, tailgating experience.鈥
She even tried living in one of the UH residence halls, although she quickly found that the constant chaos of roommates, noise and activity didn鈥檛 mesh with the academic rigors of a Ph.D. program. But the rest of it 鈥 campus parties, social clubs, weekends at the Galleria 鈥 that was good.
鈥淚 never wanted to be known as the young one,鈥 she said, but looking back, she suspects her older classmates in graduate school were on to her. 鈥淚 would show up to class in sweatpants and Crocs. My classmates would dress a little more business-forward.鈥
When it came to her dissertation, however, Cartier was all business.
A Scholar with a Mission
Her dissertation focused on teachers鈥 experiences navigating AI integration in urban classrooms, a departure from most AI education research, which focuses on students or teacher populations more broadly.
Sara McNeil, associate professor of learning, design and technology in the College of Education and Cartier鈥檚 doctoral advisor, said the work highlights voices and viewpoints that are seldom heard. 鈥淎s AI tools become more embedded in classroom practice, we need research that asks not just whether teachers are using these tools, but who is using them, under what conditions and with what support,鈥 McNeil said. 鈥淪alenah鈥檚 research begins to answer those questions.鈥
Cartier wants her research to offer practical insights for teachers. 鈥淎I is only going to continue to grow,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very important that teachers are prepared to support students in learning about AI, effectively using AI and teaching them ethical use, including how to use it as a tool, not as a replacement.鈥
Her study, which included data gathered through in-depth interviews and additional information from surveys, adds to a nascent field. With limited research on the use of AI in secondary schools and even less focused on urban settings, she saw an opportunity to contribute. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have a lot of literature to build on because it鈥檚 something new,鈥 she said.
Doctoral research is notoriously difficult, and McNeil said Cartier鈥檚 commitment to the work and her research subjects stands out far more than her age and the speed with which she earned the degree.
鈥淐ompleting a first research study is challenging work,鈥 McNeil said. 鈥淵ou must develop expertise in a subject, design a rigorous study, collect and analyze data, and then defend every decision you made in front of a room of experts, all while learning academic writing at the highest level. That demands not just intelligence, but real grit and perseverance sustained over several years.鈥
Cartier had both, along with one more trait that carried her through the endless revisions required of any dissertation.
鈥淪alenah met every round of revision with the same energy and commitment she brought to the very first draft,鈥 McNeil said. 鈥淭hat willingness to receive critical feedback, reflect on it and use it to grow is one of the most important qualities a doctoral student can have.鈥
Cartier said she hopes to carry that attitude into all her endeavors. 鈥淚鈥檓 not afraid of a setback,鈥 she said. 鈥淎s long as I have another day, another year, I鈥檓 going to better myself and start over.鈥
鈥淥n the runway, there are no edits, no Photoshop, with writing, we鈥檙e going through all these revisions. Modeling is another level of being raw and authentic.鈥
- Salenah Cartier
A Life Without Limits
For all the accolades and 鈥渇irsts,鈥 Cartier never felt her academic achievements set
her apart from friends her own age.
鈥淭here are different ways I represent myself,鈥 she said. 鈥淲hen I meet people, I don鈥檛 lead with my education, with my career. I want people to get to know my fun side, not just as a scientist. I let people get to know me.鈥
She got her start modeling in a show sponsored by the UH Hispanic Alumni Association and quickly met fashion scouts and photographers. One thing led to another, and she gradually built a portfolio.
She never worried the new world would distract from her academic goals. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about balance. I need a space where my creativity thrives. Modeling is like going to the gym. That鈥檚 my stress relief.鈥
And as any Ph.D. student can tell you, an outlet is important. 鈥淕etting a Ph.D. is very stressful,鈥 Cartier said. 鈥淪ometimes you won鈥檛 have time to sleep or eat, especially toward the end. Having that ability to express myself creatively, where no one knows what I do, no one knows I鈥檓 a scientist, is good.鈥
Having friends who didn鈥檛 constantly ask when she was going to graduate was even better.
鈥淥n the runway, there are no edits, no Photoshop,鈥 she said. 鈥淲ith writing, we鈥檙e going through all these revisions. Modeling is another level of being raw and authentic.鈥
From research to the runway, Cartier is eager to see what comes next.
鈥淚鈥檓 always open to exploring something new,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 feel that comes with being a Ph.D. scholar, being open to growth. I feel you can鈥檛 really grow if you stay in the same place.鈥