13-Year-Old Boy Earned Four Associate's Degrees

A Californian college graduate has successfully completed not one but four associate's degrees - which is impressive enough, even before you find out that this LAD is just 13 years old.

That's right, Jack Rico has only just entered his teenage years and already he's doing much better academically than the majority of us.

Jack, of La Mirada, California, graduated from Fullerton College to become the college's youngest ever graduate (times four).

Speaking to NBC, he said: "I still can't really believe that I've achieved something like this. I didn't know that I could really do that.

CNN

The degrees that the youngster has earned are in social sciences, social behaviour and self development, arts and human expression, and history. He now plans to continue his education at the University of Nevada.

Unfortunately for Jack - as with many graduates right now - he was unable to experience a school ceremony but a drive-by celebration was planned for Wednesday (27 May) in his neighbourhood.

Speaking to CNN, Jack said: "I just love learning new stuff. I love knowing more about the world and all the different things we could study."

Fullerton College President Greg Schulz explained that the youngster sticks out from the other 21,000 students, even with all their various backgrounds.

He said: "It is not typical to have such a young student take classes, so Jack is pretty well known on the Fullerton College campus.

"Jack is wise beyond his years, and I'm so pleased that he found a home and place to excel at Fullerton College."

CNN

Jack's mum, Ru Andrade, said she had known her son was special ever since he was young, recalling a fond memory of when he was about to turn four and she asked him what he wanted for his birthday.

To her surprise, Jack said he wanted to see the White House. She continued: "I told him that was a really big trip for a three-year-old. Just kidding around, I said, 'If you can memorise all the presidents, I'll take you.'"

A week later, Rico came up to his mum and surprised her with his response.

"He said, 'I already knew the presidents, but I memorised all the vice presidents so that we could go,'" Andrade remembered.

"So that's when I knew, 'Oh, you're already smarter than me.'"

Topics: US News, Community

Rebecca Shepherd

I'm Becky - a journalist at LADbible. I graduated with a First Class BA in Journalism before going on to cover criminal court cases, medical tribunals and breaking news for the national media - which inevitably and eventually became as glum as it sounds. Can often be found rocking a bag for life - which I made a 'thing' way before Rihanna. You can contact me at [email protected]

@RJShepherd94