lo ise ▁A very ▁Col ton . ▁ ▁Col ton ' s ▁pat ernal ▁grand father ▁moved ▁the ▁family ▁from ▁Massachusetts ▁to ▁North ▁Carolina ▁in ▁his ▁early ▁years . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁both ▁a ▁minister ▁and ▁a ▁teacher . ▁ ▁On ▁her ▁mother ' s ▁side ▁were ▁some ▁of ▁great ▁leaders ▁of ▁the ▁North ▁Carolina ▁state , ▁especially ▁the ▁notable ▁Wa ight st ill ▁A very . ▁ ▁As ▁Mary ▁Lyn ch ▁Johnson ▁notes , ▁Col ton ▁thus ▁came ▁from ▁a ▁long ▁line ▁of ▁" rel ig ious ▁and ▁educational ▁her itage " ▁ ▁College ▁and ▁teaching ▁Col ton ' s ▁amb ition ▁always ▁included ▁att ending ▁college . ▁ ▁Although ▁" her ▁own ▁and ▁her ▁family ' s ▁financial ▁needs ▁forced ▁her ▁to ▁alternate ▁study ▁with ▁teaching ▁school , ▁beginning ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁six teen ." ▁She ▁began ▁her ▁college ▁education ▁at ▁States ville ▁Fem ale ▁College ▁( now ▁known ▁as ▁Mitchell ▁Community ▁College ) ▁in ▁North ▁Carolina . ▁ ▁She ▁soon ▁purs ued ▁another ▁degree ▁at ▁Mount ▁Holy oke ▁College , ▁but ▁had ▁to ▁prepare ▁and ▁study ▁for ▁an ▁additional ▁year ▁before ▁qual ifying ▁for ▁ad mission ; ▁her ▁A . B . ▁from ▁States ville ▁had ▁not ▁prepared ▁her ▁for ▁college - level ▁work ▁at ▁all . ▁Bi ograph er ▁Mary ▁Lyn ch ▁Johnson ▁writes ▁of ▁how ▁this ▁" D ism ay ing ▁experience . ▁. ▁. ▁[ first ] ▁opened ▁her ▁eyes ▁to ▁the ▁de pl or able ▁state ▁of ▁most ▁colleg es ▁for ▁women ▁in