Pre-teen graduates from high school and college – in the same week
Mike Wimmer, pictured at his high school fair, is graduating from high school and college a week apart. Photo: Twitter
What was your lockdown hobby?
Learned how to bake sourdough? Planted a veggie garden? Maybe you finally learnt an instrument.
Well, prepare to feel thoroughly outdone.
Twelve-year-old Mike Wimmer, from North Carolina, decided to make the most of his lockdown last year, and picked up a few extra school subjects.
Now, he’s graduating from high school on May 28 (the usual age is 18) – a week after he graduates from college.
Oh, and he’s valedictorian of his graduating high school class.
Mike’s big passion is robotics and, along with that, the big-ticket STEM subjects of maths and science.
“If one door’s locked, he’ll find out another way around to figure out how to accomplish his goals,” his mother Melissa told CNN.
Mike says robotics are his passion. Photo: Twitter
He’s already the head of his start-up company: Reflect Social combines social media platforms and the Internet of Things to create a whole new beast, streamlining ‘smart home’ devices.
Despite his grown-up milestones, Mike insists he’s still a kid at heart.
“A lot of people think I’ve given up my childhood or somehow lost it,” Mike said.
“I say to them that I’m having the time of my life.”
So what’s next for a boy genius?
Mike has already had job offers from within the United States and around the world. Or, he’ll look to invest and expand his start-up.
“My entrepreneurial goal is to build technology that enables people to live better lives,” he said.