It is surprising to know that there are people who go to college at the young age of 9 when most of us are still playing in the sand at the beach at the same age. I was in the 3rd grade at the age of 9 and still played outdoor games with my sisters and friends. Most children at that age are inquisitive and eager to know so many things in life, while some are just hanging out with kids in the same age bracket.
However, Clovis Hung, a 12-year-old boy born in Hong Kong, had a different interest and pursued his studies until he went to college at age 9. In the Fall of 2020, he entered Fullerton College and earned 5 Associates degrees in just 3 years!
Clovis Hung and his family migrated to the United States and enrolled at Fullerton College in the fall of 2020. Clovis was age 9 at the time and his mother believed that universities could not accommodate Clovis’ interests. However, he was accepted into Fullerton College’s “special admission program” which allowed him to pursue his courses, completing his mother’s customized home study program while studying in school.
Clovis Hung admits to being nervous on his first day of classes in college but soon fell in love with college life as the days progressed. He also admits to feeling uneasy every time he entered a classroom at the beginning of each semester since the professors and his classmates initially ask for his age. In the end, they are amazed that he was enrolled in the university.
“The seriousness I show about my studies gives them confidence that I have the ability and determination to do well.”
On May 22, Clovis Hung successfully completed his courses and graduated along with 900 other Fullerton College graduates, obtaining 5 associate degrees in History, Social Science, Social Behavior and Self-development, Art and Human Expression, and Science and Mathematics. However, Clovis is still deciding to enroll in another course this 2023 and earn another degree.
Mr. Collins, Clovis Hung’s professor in Biology, said frankly in an interview that he was worried Clovis would not get along with his classmates. However, Clovis proved his professor wrong when he learned that the boy was mature and his classmates take good care of him. They all got along very well.
Ordinary girls and boys usually graduate from elementary at the age of 12 and finish middle school at the age of 16. However, Clovis Hung entered college at age 9 and earned 5 degrees at age 12. So far, he is the youngest person to accomplish this feat.
Images credits: © OneIndia
