10-Year-Old Girl to Graduate College: ‘I Just Enjoy Learning’

A 10-year-old California girl is set to graduate from college this spring. “I just enjoy learning,” she said. “There’s so many interesting things out there.”
Alisa Perales, who learned how to read at 2 years old and began doing algebra at the age of five, started taking classes at Crafton Hills College — a community college in Yucaipa, California — when she was just 8 years old, according to a report by ABC7 WWSB.
“It’s very fun to me,” Perales told the outlet. “It’s almost as fun as playing outside or riding a bike or doing whatever. I just enjoy learning. There’s so many interesting things out there.”
The 10-year-old, from San Bernardino, is now one month away from graduating from the two-year college and is currently waiting to see if she has been accepted to Stanford University.
Upon graduating from Crafton Hills College in May, Perales, who will have just turned 11 years old by the time of the ceremony, will earn two associate degrees — one in multiple sciences and the other in mathematics — with a final GPA that will be “close” to a perfect 4.0, according to a report by Inland Empire Community News (IECN).
Moreover, Perales could have earned an additional two degrees — in computer science and physics — if she would have stayed at the community college for just one more semester, the outlet noted.
“I credit my dad for pushing me to do well in school and try my best to work hard,” Perales told IECN.
The outlet reported that the 10-year-old’s father, Rafael Perales, has guided his daughter on expanding her knowledge since her first birthday, when she moved beyond basic ABCs and 123s.
“She has been a little different her whole life, but I have always taught her that there’s nothing out there that you’re not capable of understanding,” Rafael said.
“Before she started at Crafton, I explained that she was going to be around many older kids, and she didn’t seem intimidated by that,” her father continued. “She seemed to fit right in. So I just followed my daughter’s lead.”
“I did not make her adhere to a rigorous schedule I had set out for her,” he added. “I responded to what she was interested in and helped feed that interest and fueled that fire, and her interest in school remained strong.”
As for Perales, she hopes to one day work in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry, either by getting hired at an already-established company or building a startup with her dad.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
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