With three associate’s degrees under his belt, 12-year-old Tanishq Abraham is now ready to take on the University of California school system.
He’s not even a teenager yet, but this Sacramento resident has already been accepted to both UC Santa Cruz and UC Davis, and plans on studying bio-engineering. “I’ve been waiting for this for quite some time now,” he told NBC News. “I’ll finally be working on my bachelor’s. It’s very exciting.” At age 4, Abraham joined MENSA (his little sister, Tiara, 10, is also a member), and at 10, he earned his high school diploma. When he graduated from American River College at age 11 with his three degrees, he did so at the top of his class and likely set a record as the community college’s youngest-ever graduate.
Abraham already has his life planned out: He’ll start out as a doctor, then a medical researcher, and will finally end up as president of the United States. “I think if he puts his mind to it, he can achieve whatever he wants,” his father, Bijou Abraham, told NBC News. “We’re supportive of whatever he wants to do.” It doesn’t matter which school Abraham chooses — because of his credits earned in community college, he’ll enter as a junior. He’s not worried about the other college students accepting him. “Based on my experiences with ARC, at first, they’re a little confused,” he said. “But once they get used to me, they don’t treat me that differently. We’re all just friends and have fun.” Catherine Garcia
