Minneapolis (AP) — A 13-year-old boy from Minnesota will soon have a bachelor’s degree in college — majoring in physics and minoring in mathematics.
Elliott Tanner maintains an average of 3.78 points at the University of Minnesota and participates in undergraduate studies while teaching her classmates. He wants to be a high energy theoretical physicist and eventually a professor of physics at the university.
“I have an incredible passion for physics,” he said. “That’s one of my favorites.”
Elliott’s mom, Michelle Tanner, said she started reading and math by the age of three. She took two years after several years of homeschooling and a high school curriculum, and when she was nine she began taking college classes.
“People who heard Elliott say he couldn’t be a child, or he grew up too fast,” Michelle said. “He is still a very kid and the only difference is that he goes to school in another building.”
In addition to being on the verge of graduation, he was accepted into the University of Minnesota’s PhD program in physics. Now his parents are trying to figure out how to pay for it.
“We’re just exploring all the options and coming up with dead ends,” Michelle said. “I’ve tried to apply for scholarships, fellowships, and grants, but I haven’t succeeded.”