A 13-year-old boy from Long Island, New York, Joe Petraro-Hyppolite, is set to begin a master’s degree at New York University (NYU) next year, CBS News reports.
Petraro-Hyppolite, who has an IQ of 168, is currently completing his undergraduate studies and is expected to graduate in May 2027.
The teenager has recorded several academic achievements at an unusually young age.
He scored 1,590 in the SAT at age 10 and earned his high school diploma a year later at 11.
He has now been admitted into an NYU master’s programme in sports management, with additional studies in kinesiology and biology.
“My master’s is going to be sports management but other than [that] it’s also kinesiology and biology,” Petraro-Hyppolite said.
Although he admitted to feeling nervous about the new academic chapter, the teenager said he was excited about the opportunities ahead.
“Yeah, I mean, who wouldn’t be? But then again, I am also excited, because new doors are opening,” he added.
Petraro-Hyppolite previously attended Louisiana State University and currently studies alongside students considerably older than him.
He said some of his classmates are often surprised when they discover his age.
His mother, Anne Petraro-Hyppolite, said her son’s academic progress was especially remarkable given that he was previously placed in special education classes after being diagnosed with Tourette syndrome.
“It’s just surreal. When he graduated high school so young, it was surreal, but this is … everything he does is surreal. He just loves to learn. He is like a sponge,” she said.
Despite his achievements, Petraro-Hyppolite said his abilities were not a result of simply knowing everything instinctively.
“It’s not like I was shot out the womb knowing everything I know. I have to learn it once or twice. Then I’ll know,” he said.
Outside academics, the teenager volunteers his time at a nursing home in the Five Towns area of Long Island, where he helps residents.
Petraro-Hyppolite said he hopes to eventually pursue a career in palaeontology.
If he completes the master’s programme as planned, he will graduate at around the same time he becomes legally old enough to drive.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
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