Photo: Moment RF
A nine-year-old boy in Pennsylvania is the youngest student in the history of Ursinus College, per NBC Philadelphia.
Aiden Wilkens, 9, is taking neuroscience classes at Ursinus College three days a week while also completing high school courses online through Reach Cyber Charter School, where he is a sophomore.
"Ever since I was 3, I'd watch an anatomy video and was always fascinated when I saw the brain," Aiden said.
Wilkens' goal is to become a pediatric neurosurgeon.
"The reason why I want to be a pediatric neurosurgeon is mainly because I like helping kids around my age," Aiden said. "It's sad to see kids around my age with neuro-disabilities, so I want to help them out."
At just two years old, Wilkens was reading outdoor signs before he was formally taught.
“I could just read them when most kids at my age, at like two, could barely even speak,” he said. “Yeah, I just grasped it so fast.”
Wilkens passed a gifted test at age 6, confirming what his family had suspected for years.
"He was reading signs and correcting people's sentences... writing algebraic equations," Wilkens' mother, Veronica, recalled. “It’s exciting because he’s making history and he feels great. I think it’s so important to be seen and heard.”
When Wilkens asked for a new academic challenge, Veronica researched options and found Ursinus College, conveniently located near their home.
"I'm extremely proud of Aiden because it's all him. It's all organic," she said. "I'm just behind the scenes, and he goes for what he wants."
Despite his academic pace, Wilkens said he still enjoys typical kid activities, like video games and soccer.
"You can do anything," the nine-year-old said. "You really just have to put the work into it."
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