Think about what you were doing when you were 13 years old, what you had accomplished... Maybe a few good grades or a fun haircut. Or, in my case, mastering how to eat rice with chop sticks. I was proud of that before, but now that I've read about a 13-year-old boy graduating college with not one, but four associate's degrees... well. Bravo, my friend, bravo.
Jack Rico just became the youngest person to ever graduate from Fullerton College in California, according to ABC 7. Young Jack started taking courses at the community college when he was just 11 years old and earned a total of four associate's degrees since then. That's right, Jack earned four associate's degrees in two years at the age of 13. It's a huge accomplishment that should be celebrated, but unfortunately the graduation ceremony will not happen in the traditional sense due to the ongoing pandemic. Instead, on Wednesday there will be a drive-by ceremony in La Mirada, California, according to ABC 7.
Despite the lack of a traditional graduation ceremony, a spokesperson for Fullerton College told People that Jack's accomplishment is a pretty big deal. "The college was established in 1913, so this is quite a legacy he can claim!" the college told the magazine.
Jack might be the youngest person to graduate from his community college in California, but he's not resting on his laurels. According to CNN, he will be heading off the University of Nevada on a full scholarship next to pursue a history degree, although he hasn't quite decided what he'll be doing with that degree just yet. As he told ABC 7, his main priority right now is just learning a whole lot. "I'm 13, so I don't want to rush everything," he said. "I'm still trying to figure it out, but I just want to focus on learning right now. That's what I love to do." Also he said he loves video games, so it's difficult to imagine where he finds the time.
It's hugely impressive that Jack graduated at 13, but there have been other amazingly young graduates before him. An 11-year-old boy graduated from St. Petersburg College last year in Florida, for instance. And then there's 9-year-old Laurent Simons, who graduated with a degree in electrical engineering from Eindhoven University of Technology in Belgium last year, according to CNN. So, yeah, kids these days are impressive.
