Now, this is an accomplishment!
West Muhammad has always been a gifted child. He started reading at just 3 years old and entered the first grade when he was 4 years old. For years, he has been ahead of the curve, getting accustomed to being the youngest in his classes.
“Even at school, I remember I was the youngest out of my friend groups, and sometimes, the shortest, they would say,” Muhammad recalled.
Now, his hard work has paid off. Muhammad graduated high school early and headed to college, making history at 14 as the youngest student at Coppin State University, Blavity reports.
“He’s always been accelerated. Him being 14 in college – it’s like, normal for him, his mother told reporters.
Muhammad is the youngest freshman in the HBCU’s history. He’s majoring in cybersecurity engineering and attending classes on campus. His mother drives him 15 minutes from home to school daily. It’s a full circle moment for the family; his mom is also an alumna of Coppin State. Muhammad said it was overwhelming at first, and he got a lot of questions due to his age, but he’s settling in nicely.
“I was a little bit nervous because, although I was ready to come to school and just go through it, it was a little interesting. People would come up to me and ask me, ‘How did you get here?’ And, I started realizing that this is rare,” explained Muhammad.
He also says he enjoys being around like-minded individuals at an HBCU, saying it’s truly inspiring.
“It’s also nice seeing so many Black students that are trying their best to become nurses, lawyers, doctors. It’s just great to be in an environment where I see other people, and other young people, that are trying to apply themselves to be something better,” Muhammad said.
The teen was one of 31 students out of 600 applicants to receive the Fanny Jackson Coppin Scholarship. It covers full tuition for four years and up to $1,000 a year for books. Muhammad is looking forward to his collegiate journey. He hopes to take advantage of all that college has to offer and eventually start his own business. He hopes his story can inspire other young people to follow their dreams, even when it feels hard.
“My experience with school is just showing that those things that we may deem impossible or too hard to empower ourselves to do are indeed possible.”
Cover photo: 14-Year-Old Makes History as Youngest Student at Coppin State University/Photo credit: WBAL/West Muhammad/CNN