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12-Year-Old’s Brilliance Leads Him To Sophomore Year Of College

Caleb Anderson admits he’s able to grasp information more quickly than others.

When most preteens are playing video games and posing for the Gram, Caleb Anderson is about to start his sophomore year of college. CBS This Morning reports Anderson, who is only 12-years old, qualified for Mensa International, an organization for people who score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardised test when he was 3 years old. Anderson is currently enrolled at Chattahoochee Technical College where he will earn a bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering by 2022. However, the child is looking to transfer. 

Anderson told CBS This Morning, "I'm not really smart. I just grasp information quickly. So, if I learn quicker, then I get ahead faster."
He also added,"I have this distinct memory of going to a first grade class and learning there, and everyone was way taller than me, because, you know, I was two. I could barely walk!"

RELATED: Pure Genius: Black Mensa Members

Even with all of his brilliance, Anderson wasn’t immune to the unfortunate wrath of middle school bullies.

"The kids there, they kind of looked down on me, they treated me like I was an anomaly and I kind of am."

Anderson is currently touring colleges and considering transferring to Georgia Institute of Technology and the Massachusetts Institute for Technology.
His mother, Claire, told WKYC that she hopes her son can inspire other Black families and show that her son is not the only “gifted” one out there saying, “I think people have a negative perspective when it comes to African-American boys. There are many other Calebs out there. African-American boys like him.” 

Claire, who is an educator explained, “From being a teacher - I really believe that. But they don’t have the opportunity or the resources.”
Watch the news clip on Caleb Anderson below:

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