Khaya Njumbe began taking college courses four years ago, already has associates degrees in biology, liberal arts & general studies
GARY, Ind. — While most 15-year-olds are completing their freshman year of high school, one Northwest Indiana teen is defying the odds by not only graduating from high school but becoming the first in his family to graduate college as well.
Khaya Njumbe already has three associates degrees in biology, liberal arts and general studies and next week will earn a bachelor’s degree in general studies from Indiana University Northwest. And that’s in addition to the high school diploma he’ll earn from 21st Century Charter School.
“I know it’s a pretty big accomplishment,” Njumbe told WGN Friday. “I know I did some research there’s really not that many kids who’ve accomplished this and I’m just very grateful for all the support.”
The teen’s educational prowess revealed itself early. He was reading flashcards at 13 months and taught himself how to play the piano and speak Chinese, an interest he developed from a fascination with Bruce Lee movies.
“When I was about 7, that’s when my mom officially sent me to a Chinese school, but before then I was already trying to teach myself,” Njumbe recalled.
He was just 4 years old when his parents enrolled him into a reading camp at Indiana University Northwest. Since then he’s earned associate degrees from Ivy Tech and has dreamed about graduating from IU Northwest and attending its school of medicine.
He began taking college courses four years ago and plans to pursue biomedical engineering, but will first pursue a master’s degree. Due to child labor laws, he can’t even enroll in the IU School of Medicine until he turns 18.
Professor Jack Bloom said that in his 45 years teaching at IU Northwest, he hasn’t come across a student like Njumbe.
“You can count on him. He is a serious student. He does the reading. He produces great work,” Bloom said.
Along with his extraordinary gift of learning, Njumbe is a member of the Jesse White Tumbling Team, a second-degree black belt in taekwondo and reads poetry. And like many teens his age, he also enjoys video games and basketball.
“The sky is the limit for him,” said 21st Century School social worker Theresa Canady. “I see him doing exactly what he wants to do and more.”