American actor Cameron Boyce was well-established for his successful career in films and television. Fans often wonder if he received a formal education before achieving stardom.
Cameron Boyce did not get the chance to attend college before his untimely death at a young age. However, he graduated from Sherman Oaks Center For Enriched Studies with a high school diploma at 18, while pursuing an acting career. Oak Park High School is specifically designed for teenagers with a busy schedule, balancing their lives in the entertainment industry with school.
Read more about Cameron’s life and unique education below.
Early Life
Cameron Boyce is of Afro-Carribean and African-American descent.
His grandmother was one of the Clinton 12, who were the first group of African-American youth to attend integrated high school.
He attended “normal” school through sixth grade while living with his parents and younger sister.
Boyce eventually went to study at Oak Park High School, moving in with two of his industry friends once his acting career took off.
Oak Park Independent School is designed for flexibility around students’ schedules while they balance their commitment to the entertainment industry.
Boyce said in an interview, “It’s so funny because I went to this campus probably five or six times in my life, ever”.
He elaborated on what he meant, saying that “Oak Park [Independent] School is set up for people who have busy schedules—Zendaya and Gabby Douglas went there—so the teachers come to you, and I’d never had to go in.”
Boyce found his graduation experience to be different from that of teenagers in a full-time educational system. Of this, he said, “They were all crying and I’m just like, “I don’t know any of you, this is so weird….” […] But I think it was less emotion and more like: let’s get to work”.
Boyce posted the Instagram photo below, excited to be graduating high school.
While attending high school, Boyce was simultaneously focusing on his acting career that he had been cultivating since childhood.
He described the sensation he felt seeing his friends from sixth grade do normal things like getting ready for prom.
“Around the time I was calling my publicist to figure out a way to shape my career, I saw all my friends in prom gowns and suits on Instagram. I was like, ‘Whoa, I didn’t get to do that: that’s weird.’”
Career In Entertainment
Cameron Boyce did not have time to attend high school full-time, or to enroll in college, because of his thriving career in acting.
The first time he starred on-screen was in a Panic! At the Disco music video for That Green Gentleman, and his debut film was the supernatural horror movie Mirrors in 2008.
His career quickly took off, and he went on to star in several feature films such as Grown Ups, along with many Disney shows.
Boyce got his big break upon acquiring a leading role in the hit Disney series Jessie.
Having been trained in various forms of dance, Boyce was also cast as a backup dancer in the Disney show Shake It Up.
Unfortunately, the young actor suffered an untimely death just 2 years after graduating high school, at 20 years old.
He was found unresponsive on July 6th, 2019, and his family later confirmed that his cause of death was due to an epileptic seizure from his ongoing battle with epilepsy.
Boyce left behind a legacy of achievements, both in acting and philanthropy.
The Cameron Boyce Pioneering Spirit Award was named after him by the Thirst Project, a charitable organization for which Boyce raised upwards of $25,000.
He raised money for the homeless through HomeWalk, and spoke up for sexual abuse victims via It’s On Us, among many other humanitarian missions.
Although Boyce did not attend college, he made a name for himself as a young adult.