It’s been a big week for Scotty McCreery… He’s not only the owner a coveted silver buckle at the CMT Music Award; he’s also the holder of diploma.

The 18-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer graduated from North Carolina’s Garner Magnet High School Thursday, the same location where he filmed his “breakthrough video of the year” for “The Trouble With Girls.”

McCreery walked across the stage with his 400 or so classmates in Raleigh, N.C., to collect his diploma the day after claiming his first CMT Music Award in Nashville.

“The year has gone so fast,” the American Idol Season 10 winner told People on the red carpet before the awards show. “I’m glad it worked out that I could do both [school and music]. It was important to me and my family. Graduation is a big milestone, and it’s going to be a little bittersweet.”

“It was a good four years for me in high school,” he says.

McCreery, who plans to attend North Carolina State University in the fall, tells the magazine that his dedication to his studies has paid off. He graduated with distinguished honors and said he believed he ranked in the top 50 in his class academically.

“I tried to keep in the books while I was on the road,” he said. “There’s a lot of down time, hurry up and wait time, and I tried to put it to good use. I know my family will be proud.”