He can’t drive or grow a beard, yet he’s a highly successful recent Fullerton College graduate.
12-year-old Clovis Hung has set a new record at Fullerton College in California by becoming their youngest ever graduate.
Hung was inspired by a 13-year-old graduate who previously held the title when he finished his studies in 2020.
Of his impressive achievement, Hung said: “I also wanted to be the youngest graduate. I didn’t expect to beat him.”
Hung’s mother, Song Choi, knew her son was exceptionally gifted and took him out of public school in 2020 to enroll him in the college.
Quoting the late Steve Jobs, she gave her son some words of wisdom: “Stay hungry, stay foolish and one more – always be humble to learn.”
Despite the heavy workload that no doubt comes with being a child prodigy, Hung still finds the time to enjoy the usual day to day activities of a preteen boy.
He said: “I play basketball five days a week and sometimes a whole week because I have games. I also play games like Minecraft and Roblox and I also have Civil Air Patrol and Boy Scouting.”
He also a passion for travel, as he jetted off to the Middle East over his summer break to soak in all the history.
With five degrees under his belt and a sixth on the way, Hung is looking to a future in aerospace engineering, piloting or pediatrics.
Speaking of their youngest graduate, Fullerton College’s Director of Campus Communications, Lisa McPherson said: “We’re an enrolment institution and students that are K through eight – so before graduating high school – they can actually come to Fullerton College under a special process called special admit.”
Hung is planning to take on another year to do post-graduate study in STEM (Science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects.
From there, he’ll be off to university to study for his masters degree and ultimately his PhD. All of that by the time he’s turned eighteen. And he still won’t be of legal age to have a drink in the US to commemorate his hard work.
