People – most especially those in the media - find child prodigies fascinating. Whether they excel in math, science, music, medicine, law, literature, or any other field, the populace flocks to them with a blend of reverence and resentment, optimism and cynicism. The following 10 students, according to available online research, are on record as the youngest American-born students to complete a college degree in their home country. Accompanying the brief summary of their accomplishments is a short update on their most current status with information from the latest research through reliable periodicals available on the internet.
1. Michael Kearney (8)
Who He Is. Michael Kearney currently holds the Guinness Book of World Records title of “Youngest University Graduate.” At the age of 8, the homeschooled prodigy completed an Associate of Science degree in geology while at Santa Rosa Junior College. He would then go on to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from University of South Alabama at 10, a master’s in biochemistry from Middle Tennessee State University at 14, and another master’s – this time in computer science - from Vanderbilt at 17. While studying at Vanderbilt, Kearney also taught chemistry classes and was considered the world’s youngest holder of a graduate degree in the world until Tathagat Avatar Tulsi assumed the title in 1999.
Where He Is. Kearney told ABC News in 2005 that he wanted nothing more than a “normal” life unencumbered by fame, and at the time was almost finished with the coursework necessary to complete a PhD in chemistry. In 2006, the Nashville resident won $1 million in AOL’s Gold Rush competition and would later compete on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? in 2008.
2. Moshe Kai Cavalin (11)
Who He Is. This plucky 11-year-old with a passion for martial arts and astrophysics graduated from East Los Angeles College with an associate’s degree in liberal arts in May of 2009. Not only that, but he did so with honors and a 4.0 GPA as well, passing the time tutoring his classmates in science and math. Cavalin entered the program at 8 to much surprise and confusion from the faculty, staff, and students, but still came out on top in the end. Outside of school, he has also won a few martial arts championships at a national level.
Where He Is. Cavalin does intend to move up to university studies in the near future, probably knocking out a degree in astrophysics. However, following graduation he decided to take a year off to relax, continue his studies and training in martial arts, and perhaps write a book targeted towards his own age bracket advising them on healthy study habits. He also hopes to take up scuba diving as well.
3. Adragon De Mello (11)
Who He Is. Many people think of child actors and entertainers when it comes to unfortunate parental pressure and involvement looming so heavily that their lives become entirely shattered, but on occasion it happens to prodigies as well. In 1987, his overbearing father Augustin declared him a genius on 60 Minutes, and a year later he would complete his bachelor’s degree in computational mathematics at University of California, Santa Cruz. But Augustin was relentless in his goal to see Adragon win a Nobel Prize before his 16th birthday, and eventually became violently obsessive to the point he drove away his tormented wife. He spent a brief period of time in foster care before returning to his mother’s custody, where he enrolled in the local junior high school under an assumed name – eventually graduating from high school in 1994.
Where He Is. When his father became suicidal and terminally ill with bladder cancer in 2001, Adragon nursed him until his 2003 death. He has tried his hardest to stay under the radar with a quiet but sadly erratic existence, with jobs as an estimator for commercial painting companies, a quality assurance engineer for a dotcom corporation, and a staff member at Home Depot. In between, he suffers from long droughts of unemployment.
4. Sho Yano (12)
Who He Is. Sho Yano holds an IQ of an estimated 200, and graduated summa cum laude from Loyola University Chicago in 2003. Following his comprehensive homeschooling, he was accepted after scoring an impressive 1,500 on the SAT out of a possible 1,600 at only 8 years old, taking courses on biology, chemistry, and English composition by 9. Much of his research involved the effects of cell phone radiation on mice, and he even co-authored many papers regarding his biological findings. After completing his bachelor’s, Yano immediately entered the Medical Scientist Training Program at the prestigious University of Chicago, where he simultaneously completed an MD and PhD in molecular genetics and cell biology in 2009 – all at the age of 18.
Where He Is. As of 2009, Yano began his second year of medical still at University of Chicago and shows no signs of letting up or burning out. He continues to occasionally publish his inquiries into biology and medical science as well.
5. Gregory R. Smith (13)
Who He Is. Randolph-Macon College graduated 13-year-old Gregory R. Smith with cum laude honors and a BS degree in mathematics in 2003 – even involving himself with the Phi Beta Kappa fraternity. Just days after his 14th birthday, he enrolled in the graduate program at University of Virginia to pursue a PhD in mathematics. Smith also mobilized the media to promote awareness of and call for aid to numerous human rights issues, and founded the International Youth Advocates in addition to his work with Christian Children’s Fund and World Centers of Compassion for Children. His travel across the world and meetings with influential leaders such as Bill Clinton, Desmond Tutu, and Mikhail Gorbachev garnered him a Nobel Peace Prize nomination in both 2002 and 2003.
Where He Is. Smith finished his MS in 2006, and International Youth Advocates appears to have disbanded. As of 2007, he continues his mathematics research in pursuit of a PhD at University of Virginia.
6. Asif Haque (13)
Who He Is. At 13, Asif Haque completed an associate’s degree in arts at Monterey Peninsula College after enrolling while only 7 years old. He would go on to become the youngest known recent graduate at University of California Berkeley in 2001 when he completed a bachelor’s degree (with honors!) in chemistry and earned a score of 1450 on his SAT exam.
Where He Is. Some of Haque’s research can still be found online, but the most recent article on his activity came shortly after his graduation. After graduation, he planned on taking a bit of a break earn his driver’s license. Such intensive schooling requires quite a bit of decompression as well, and he hoped to do so with video games and plenty of Everclear and Incubus music.
7. Alia Sabur (14)
Who She Is. The youngest female ever to graduate from college, Alia Sabur went straight from 4th grade to Stony Brook University – where she completed a BS in applied mathematics with summa cum laude honor in 2003. In 2006, Drexel University awarded her an MS in materials science engineering, and went on to receive a PhD in the same field at the same institution. Her research and publications regarding nanotubes, spectroscopy, metamaterials, plasmas, and other substances has garnered awards from NASA, the Department of Defense, GAANN, and NSF as well as a rotational research position at Edwards Air Force Base. She is also an accomplished clarinet player who studied with world-class musicians at Julliard.
Where She Is. Sabur’s online presence keeps readers updated on her progress far more than the other child prodigies featured on this list. She currently holds the title of “world’s youngest professor” with Guinness Book of World Records and teaches as a research liaison between Konkuk University in Seoul and Stony Brook University. Following Hurricane Katrina, she volunteered to help displaced Southern University at New Orleans students complete their math and physics courses with the minimal possible amount of disruption to their studies. Sabur will be relocating to South Korea soon.
8. Kathleen Holtz (15)
Who She Is. The youngest law student to ever pass the bar in California – if not the United States - Kathleen Holtz graduated magna cum laude with a BA in philosophy from California State University in 2003. She immediately entered law school at UCLA and completed her JD in 2007 at 18 years old. During her stint in law school, she worked on the staff of the UCLA Law Review as the articles editor, served as the president of the UCLA Federalist Society, externed with the Honorable Stephen V. Wilson, and interned at the Literacy Network of Greater Los Angeles.
Where She Is. Holtz works as a business litigation attorney with the Troy Guild firm in their Litigation Department. She has already tried several successful cases in Orange County’s Superior Court – one of which occurred shortly after she passed the bar and became a full-fledged attorney.
9. William James Sidis (16)
Who He Is. Oftentimes considered one of the smartest individuals of all time, William James Sidis possessed an IQ of around 250. He began his studies at Harvard at 11 years old under an experimental program rewarding the particularly gifted with early admission, and would go on to lecture with the Mathematical Club during his stay. In 1910, he finished all the coursework necessary to obtain a Bachelor of Arts degree with cum laude honors at the age of 16. By 17, he was teaching geometry and trigonometry classes at the William Marsh Rice Institute for the Advancement of Letters, Science, and Art – now known as Rice University – while pursuing graduate studies. He would later abandon both the position and the courses due to personal issues, and enrolled in Harvard Law School in 1916, but withdrew in his final year. From there, Sidis became involved in the socialist movement and, following an arrest during a 1919 riot, withdrew from the public eye to pursue his writings and studies in as much solitude as possible.
Where He Is. Sidis currently resides in Portsmouth, New Hampshire at the South Cemetery. He passed on July 17, 1944 from a cerebral hemorrhage, but leaves behind a considerable legacy of literature, history, patents, and mathematical and transportation research. Some of the work had been published under pseudonyms to protect his privacy, however.
10. Stephen A. Baccus (16)
Who He Is. If Kathleen Holtz is to be considered the youngest individual to ever pass the bar exam, then she has Stephen A. Baccus to thank for that. He entered University of Miami’s law school at 14 and graduated at 16, making a name for himself by successfully suing the State of New York for its age restrictions on the bar exam after receiving a special waiver in Florida. Baccus began practicing law at 17 and made partner in a firm by 19, and his litigations against age discrimination garnered high-profile media attention in 1988.
Where He Is. Fortunately, Baccus never strayed from the chosen career he fought so hard to obtain. He continues to practice litigation and trial law in Miami, and has a clear record with no history of controversy or underhanded activity attached to his name.
No matter their current whereabouts or activities, these ten men and women challenge society’s preconceived notions of childhood intelligence and development. Their contributions to their respective fields have helped pave the way for future practitioners of all ages and prove that hard work and dedication to an area of interest mean far more to accomplishing goals than mere intelligence.
