While most 17 year old’s are thinking about college next fall, Martin will be thinking about where he is going to be attending graduate school

WSN-TV 7 in Marimar, Fla reports that James Martin just received his bachelor’s degree in molecular biology from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) during a ceremony. The young teen is by far the youngest graduate in his class of 1000 other students; to add-on to his many accolades, he was also one of the most accomplished in his class, finishing with a 3.9 GPA. “James Martin, Suma Cum Laude,” said the announcer at the ceremony. The fact that he is so young, is a fact that does not elude the young scholar.

“It’s funny, because I have a really young face, so they all knew this kid doesn’t belong here,” Martin said. “They end up seeing you almost as a peer because you study like they do, you work like they do, and at the same time, you’re interacting.” While Martin is clearly a super-talented young man, his mother, who home-schooled him as a child, admits that her son was not always as studious as his now. “His early years, he tended to be a little lazy,” said Joan Martin. “He day dreamed a lot and then, at about the age of 12 or 13, he started getting really serious.”

Martin was so serious that his improved habits landed him on FAU’s campus at 14 years old. It was a successful journey that didn’t go without challenging moments. While Martin is not sure of what his next steps will be, he does eventually want to pursue higher education.

Congradulations to another intelligent young black man doing great things!

-Tamara Black(@MwiliHakalu)