Boy, 11, graduates from California college with 3 degrees
A California boy, 11, just graduated from college with three degrees. Tanishq Abraham says his dreams are to become a doctor, a Nobel Prize-winning medical researcher, and President of the United States.
Abraham graduated from American River College in Sacramento, possibly the youngest graduate in the college’s 60-year history.
“The assumption is that he’s the all-time youngest,” American River College spokesman Scott Crow told NBC Bay Area on Thursday. “But we don’t have all the archives to completely confirm. He was definitely the youngest this year.”
On cloud nine! 3 degrees after my name! #Graduation news covered on @kcranews@News10_CA@FOX40 airing at 10 & 11 pm pic.twitter.com/mvXeFo8dXS
— Tanishq Abraham (@iScienceLuvr) May 21, 2015
“I like to learn,” he told KTXL following the graduation ceremony. “So I just followed my passion of learning, and that’s how I ended up here.”
Tanishq was home-schooled by his mother Taji, a veterinarian who reportedly took a break from her own PhD studies to teach him. Last year, at age 10, he satisfied all the state requirements and graduated high school.
“We did it as a family, as teamwork,” said Taji Abraham. “And I was just cheering, I was just crying there when I saw Tanishq walk down the stage.”
College #graduation celebration with family pic.twitter.com/MIp8kta9R2
— Tanishq Abraham (@iScienceLuvr) May 21, 2015
Intellect apparently runs in the family. His father, Bijou Abraham, had a perfect math score on his SAT. He is a Cornell University graduate and software engineer. Tanishq’s younger sister Tiara, 9, is also a prodigy; both children joined Mensa International at the age of four.
“Even in kindergarten,” Taji Abraham said, Tanishq “was a few years ahead. It just went from there.”
3 Associate college degrees -Awesome feeling- completed my first few baby steps to my BIG goal- @NobelPrize med doctor/researcher & @POTUS
— Tanishq Abraham (@iScienceLuvr) May 21, 2015
Tanishq started taking classes at American River College when he was 7. According to KNTV, he had enough credits for associate’s degrees in mathematics and physical science, general science and language studies.
The boy’s summer plans include taking an eight-week Calculus II course, and a family vacation. His long-term goals include attending Stanford University, becoming a doctor, winning a Nobel Prize in medicine, and becoming President of the United States.
