An 11-year-old California girl has broken the record for youngest student to graduate from Irvine Valley College — just a year after her older brother set it.
FOX 11 Los Angeles cameras just had to come out to record little Athena Elling’s graduation ceremony as she walked across the stage last week with other students who towered over her.
After proudly accepting her Liberal Arts associate’s degree, she jokingly told the outlet, “I’m really, really happy and excited because I got to beat my brother’s record.”
Her brother, Tycho, became the youngest student to graduate from Irvine last year, also at 11 — but at the time he was six months older than Athena is.
According to the newest Elling graduate, Tycho has been “chill” about it.
“I don’t think he cares that much,” Athena said with a smile.
The overachieving siblings’ mother, Christina Chow, said she never forced her kids to go to college at such a young age. They simply love learning.
“She was pestering me to register her for more classes. She wants to get another associate’s. Two other associates. I just think she wants to do everything, she has that kind of energy to explore,” the beaming mom told the station.
In addition to studying, Athena has already landed herself a modeling campaign, plays guitar, sings, dances, and has a second-degree black belt in taekwondo.
“I really want to be an actress or maybe like a divorce attorney, [or] an allergist, because I myself have allergies and eczema,” she told reporters when asked what her career plans are.
Regardless of what she decides to do, she will always have that confidence and experience from being such a young college graduate.
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