Last week, a 12-year-old boy became the youngest person to graduate from Fullerton College in California.
Clovis Hung, who started college when he was just 9 years old, said his decision to enroll was motivated by a sense of friendly competition. He said he heard about Fullerton student Jack Rico, who at age 13 set the previous record as the youngest graduate of the university and set out to match his achievements.
“I also wanted to be the youngest graduate,” Hung told Fullerton news station KABC. «I didn’t expect to beat him.»
On Saturday, Hung walked across the stage in a cap and gown alongside other Fullerton graduates, most of them at least a decade his senior. He received five associate of arts degrees: history; Social Sciences; social behavior and self-development; arts and human expression; and science and mathematics. He said that he plans to look for another one next year.
Hung enrolled at Fullerton through the school’s special admissions program, which allows students of any age to take courses for college credit. According to a school news release, Hung’s mother combined her college classes with a homeschool curriculum to better meet her academic needs.
“Clovis is super curious, mature, diligent, self-disciplined and highly motivated,” said Hung’s mother, Song Choi, said in the statement. «He is also very curious and traditional public schools could not satisfy his curiosity, therefore the best option was university.»
Adjusting to an in-person college experience was daunting at first, Hung said, but he found a support system in his new professors and classmates. They all welcomed him with open arms and were happy to have discussions with him about the course material, he said.
“When I had questions, I would ask them, and if they had questions, they would ask me,” Hung said. «They treated me like a little brother.»
Some of her teachers were concerned about how she would relate to her older classmates, according to the statement, but they soon discovered that she was a perfect fit.
“Clovis has been a great mix of ‘kid’ and college student,” said Fullerton biology professor Kenneth Collins. «He’s mature enough for the other students to take him seriously, but boyish enough to take care of him like a younger brother and cheer him up.»
Like many recent graduates, Hung plans to spend his summer traveling. He also plays basketball five days a week, enjoys Minecraft and Roblox, and is earning Boy Scout badges.
“I have also just joined the Civic Air Patrol and look forward to earning my pilot’s license at the age of 16,” he said in the statement.