At 12, Clovis Hung Breaks Record for Youngest Fullerton College Graduate
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Lisa McPheron
Director of Campus Communications
714-992-7014 | lmcpheron@fullcoll.edu
May 5, 2023 – Twelve-year-old Clovis Hung will break a record at Fullerton College to become the youngest graduate to earn five degrees. After completing the spring semester, he will earn five Associate of Arts degrees in History, Social Sciences, Social Behavior and Self-Development, Arts and Human Expression, and Science and Mathematics. Clovis will join more than 900 graduates at the 108th Commencement on May 20 at 9 a.m. on Sherbeck Field.
Clovis was just nine years old when he enrolled at Fullerton College after being inspired by another young Hornet graduate in 2020, Jack Rico, who was just 13 years old at the time and earned four degrees. Clovis shared he wanted to do the same thing and will now surpass Jack Rico’s record.
“I feel proud of myself. Hard work has finally paid off,” Clovis said.
His mother, Song Choi, says that Clovis has always been highly self-motivated and goal oriented, and it’s one of the reasons she pulled him out of traditional public school in 2019 so that she could home school him. Under the “special admit” program at Fullerton College, Clovis was able to enroll in college classes while simultaneously completing a homeschooling curriculum.
“Clovis is super inquisitive, mature, diligent, self-disciplined, and highly motivated. He is also very curious and traditional public schools could not satisfy his curiosity, therefore, the best option was college,” said Choi.
Clovis enrolled in his first course, World Civilizations to 1550, in the fall of 2020 and continued to enroll in more classes each semester, at one point taking 11 units, the maxim allowed units for “special admit” students. He further challenged himself with honors courses, excelling in each of them and impressing many of his professors and peers who said Clovis displayed a great level of brilliance,
“At first, I was a little worried about how he would relate to the other students given the age and developmental differences, however, those concerns were unfounded. Clovis has been a great mixture of ‘kid’ and college student. He is mature enough that the other students take him seriously, but enough of a kid that they look after him like a younger brother and cheer him on,” said Biology Professor Kenneth Collins.
Clovis admits he was a little nervous the first few times he stepped into a new classroom at the beginning of each semester. “The first question the professors and classmates usually ask is how old I am. They are surprised at what I am doing here and always curious about the points of my quizzes and exams. However, after a while, I have shown a serious attitude toward my study; they all believe in my ability and determination to get good grades,” he said.
Clovis is a standout among his peers, but not for his age or size. “Clovis is such a joy to be around and very intelligent. Although he is tiny, it’s the only feature that gives away his age,” said Student Trustee Paloma Foster who is taking Honors Anthropology with Clovis this semester.
Clovis was elected as a Senator for Associated Students for the upcoming academic year and plans to continue taking STEM classes at Fullerton College until he’s ready to apply to universities in the fall. He said he’s exploring several career paths including commercial piloting, medicine to become a pediatrician, and is interested in aerospace careers.
At home, he’s just a regular tween boy, playing basketball with his friends, setting up Star Wars scenes with Legos, playing with his dog Chep Chep and his cat Cotton, and earning merit badges to become an Eagle Scout.
“I feel really proud of what I’ve accomplished so far,” he said. “I also just joined the Civic Air Patrol and hope to get my pilot license at age 16.”
Fullerton College will celebrate the Class of 2023 at the 108th Commencement ceremony on May 20. For more details visit commencement.fullcoll.edu
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