A teenager is on his way to making history in Indiana.
ABC-7 in Chicago, IL, reports that at age 15, Khaya Njumbe is set to become the youngest college graduate in Indiana. As the first generation of his family born in the U.S., the teen lives in Gary, IN, and attends Indiana University Northwest. He will cross the graduation stage in May 2024 — making him the first to do so in his family.
The outlet details that to get a head start on the achievement, Njume took dual-credit courses at 21st Century Charter High School. Theresa Canady, a social worker at the charter school, shared that he initially started taking college courses at age 11.
“When I was younger, I had a lot of ambition,” Njumbe told the outlet. “I always just wanted to do more, impress my parents mainly. I was always an overachiever in school.”
Jack Bloom, one of Njumbe’s professors at Indiana University Northwest, shared, “It’s pretty amazing. Obviously the stuff he can do is beyond what most people can do.”
He added, “He’s a serious student. He asks really good questions. He makes good comments. He helps the class.”
During Njumbe’s interview with the outlet, he emphasized that his academic success is a result of true dedication and work ethic.
“I just want to show other kids that they can do it too,” he shared. “And I’m not an anomaly, no type of genius or prodigy. I just worked hard and just focused really.”
Ultimately, Njume wants to be an example for the next generation, showing them that they can achieve whatever they have their eyes set on.
“It is something special,” Canady said. “It’s something special he’s doing, and hopefully he’s an inspiration to other students.”
According to the outlet, following Njume’s historic college graduation, he aims to go to medical school in the hopes of becoming an orthopedic surgeon. However, he is unable to enroll until age 18, so his next course of action is to work toward a master’s degree.
Outside of academia, Njume says he has always had a knack for trying new things and tapping into self-improvement. Along with learning the entire periodic table, he taught himself how to play the piano and speak Chinese at just 7 years old.