Jack Rico is not just an average 13-year-old, even though he spends hours playing video games and arguing with his older sister—this brilliant teenager just graduated from Fullerton College with four associate’s degrees in a matter of only two years.
The Genius 13-year-old boy of Fullerton College
According to the college, Rico is the youngest student to accomplish this feat in their history of 107 years!
While most of us find it difficult to major in one subject, the young prodigy earned degrees in history, social science, social behavior, and human expression, while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. Rico claims that he loves to learn new stuff and is always willing to know more about the world. Of course, that’s pretty evident from his achievements.
Greg Schulz, the President of Fullerton College, said that although the community college has about 21,000 students, Rico was pretty well known on campus. After all, it is rare to see such a young student take classes in college and also excel in every subject.
Ru Andre, Rico’s mother, said that she always knew her son was extraordinary. Most four-year-olds would probably have chosen toys or a trip to Disneyland for their birthday. Rico, on the other hand, wanted to see the White House!
While his mom found that unusual, she promised she would take him if he managed to memorize all the presidents’ names.
Unsurprisingly, Rico did more than that within a week. Not only did he know all the presidents’ names, but he also learned that of every vice president’s. Ru was impressed, to say the least, and granted him his birthday wish.
Rico is happy taking classes at the community college
Rico was home-schooled before attending Fullerton, so this would have been his first official graduation. Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic had other plans, and his in-person graduation was canceled. So, his friends and family organized a drive-by graduation parade to help him celebrate!
You’re probably wondering what Rico’s secret to success is—but according to him, there isn’t one. He just believes in listening to your instructors and effective time management. Wise words from a wise boy!
Rico’s dream is to study at UNLV
Rico received a full-ride scholarship from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he will continue to study history. When asked what he’d like to be in the future, Rico confided that he’s still exploring his interests and hasn’t figured out life yet. For now, it’s summer, and he would just like to get back to his video games. That’s a well-deserved break!