A 15-year-old boy has become the youngest person ever to graduate from the University of Nevada — with what was his fifth degree in just four years.
Jack Rico from California was an early child prodigy who already had four associate’s degrees when he reached 13 years of age.
Now has completed his bachelor’s degree in history at UNLV with an impressive grade point average of 3.78.
Jack shared that she loved every class she took during an interview at the school. “The history or film department was the majority of my classes, but every class taught me something unique.”
The University of Nevada has made a 15 year-old boy the youngest graduate ever. This was with his fifth degree, which he received in only four years.
Jack Rico was a child prodigy from California who had earned four associate degrees before he turned thirteen years old.
With a remarkable 3.78 average in grade points, he has just completed his UNLV bachelor of history degree.
Jack was homeschooled at the age of four by Ru Andrade his mother. But she found it difficult to teach him new skills after that time.
‘I had given everything I had, and he was smarter than me,’ his mom told Fox News.
At age 11, he took a placement exam at Fullerton College — which offered a K-12 bridge program — and scored so high that they put him in college-level courses.
Within two years of studying there, he earned four associate degrees — one in each concentration of history, social behavior, art and human expression, and social science.
He was the youngest graduate of a California college at the time and earned a perfect 4.0 GPA.
He began taking courses at the University of Nevada when he was 14 years old. He shared how he stayed focused and continued to study, even though he felt like having more of a sense of fun.
“In my first two semesters I was on it. He said that he managed his time well and completed assignments on-time.
Ru Andrade was his mother’s homeschooler. However, after only four years she had run out of material for him to study. Here he is with his dad, sister and mom.
When he was 11, he passed a Fullerton College placement test. The college offered a K-12 Bridge program. His score was so high, they decided to enroll him in college-level classes.
It has been more difficult this semester to remain motivated. I was unable to complete my first assignment in college, which happened a few weeks before. It was enough for me to get back on track.
‘I started writing down everything again and making sure I’m staying organized. “I still have my PS5 staring at the front of me. But I made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t let it go until I finish finals,” he stated.
And on December 14, after just a year, he officially graduated on December 14, 2021 — and said the accomplishment feels ‘awesome.’
I worked hard, but had lots of help. My professors, classmates and friends have all been amazing. He expressed his gratitude to my mother for taking me from California to UNLV each week to allow me to take classes at campus.
His mom exclaimed, “Just being with him on this journey was so amazing.”
He earned four associate degrees in two years – one each in art, history and social behavior. Pictured at Fullerton’s graduation
At the age of 14, he began attending classes at University of Nevada. Here is his ID card.
After only one academic year, he graduated officially on December 14, 2021. Pictured at UNLV’s graduation
‘I know he gets a lot of attention for his brain, but he’s the sweetest kid — never been in trouble once. A sister with autism is his best friend.
We are very proud of him for achieving what he desired. However, he’s also proud to be a human. That’s the coolest thing about him.’
Now Jack has plans to earn his master’s degree, but wants to take one semester off from school so that he can relax and just be a teenager.
Fox News interviewed him and he said that his next goal was to learn code. He also stated that he hopes to fluently speak Spanish.
Jack, although unsure about Jack’s future career plans, said that he hopes to find a job which will provide enough income for him and his sister.
‘That’s his plan and motivation through all of this,’ Ru added.
Tony Allen, UNLV spokesperson said Jack had enrolled to UNLV May 2020. He stated that the university would do all it could to make Jack feel comfortable.
Tony commented, “Jack, a young man of extraordinary potential, has a bright future and we’re delighted that he selected UNLV to continue his academic career.”
“We are proud to welcome Jack and his family at UNLV. We have a history of Rebels who made it possible by following their dreams.
Jack’s mother explained to him that Jack ‘isn’t a genius. Jack just works hard and loves to learn. Pictured are Jack on his first semester at college (left), and his final semester’s first day (right).
Jack has plans to earn his master’s degree, but wants to take one semester off from school so that he can relax and just be a teen
Jack was unsure what his future career would look like, but he stated that he wanted a job with enough income to support his autism-stricken sister (left) for the rest of their lives.
“It was amazing how many resources we have at UNLV. I was extremely helped in my research by the library and access to online support materials.
Las Vegas Review interviewed him in 2020 and his mother said the 15-yearold is not genius. Instead, he ‘works very hard’ to learn.
Although she called him an “old soul”, she said that he is still a great kid who loves to play the same games as other children his age.
He is only 13 when it come to play. She said that he would finish his work to play his video games.