At 12, Clovis Hung Breaks Record for Youngest Fullerton College Graduate
Twelve-year-old Clovis Hung is not your typical tween boy. While he does enjoy some typical tween activities such as basketball, Boy Scouts, and playing Roblox, his real joy comes from learning and satisfying his curiosity. After completing the spring semester, Clovis will break a record at Fullerton College to become the youngest graduate to earn five degrees. He is set to join more than 900 graduates who will be recognized at the annual Commencement ceremony 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 at the time earned four degrees at Fullerton College at the age of 13. Clovis said he wanted to do the same thing. Now, he is surpassing that record and is set to earn five Associate of Arts degrees in History, Social Sciences, Social Behavior and Self-Development, Arts and Human Expression, and Science and Mathematics.
“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 those are the reasons why she pulled him out of traditional public school in 2019 so that she could home-school him.
“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,” Choi said.
Under the “special admit” program at Fullerton College, Clovis was able to enroll in college classes while simultaneously completing a homeschooling curriculum. His mother says that because of her experience teaching and tutoring, she was able to choose a curriculum that best suited his needs, which meant including college courses.
When Clovis enrolled in his first course, World Civilizations to 1550, in the fall of 2020, he and his mother were unsure how well he would do and if he would enjoy it, but those concerns were quickly put to rest after witnessing the level of trust and support he had from his teachers and classmates.
“After that first history class, I found out I could handle it well and instantly fell in love with college life. So, I challenged myself to take more classes,” Clovis said.
He enrolled in two courses, then three, and 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, maturity, and high levels of motivation.
“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.
Within the Honors Program, Clovis was also able to thrive, said Honors Program Coordinator and Political Science Professor Jodi Balma. “Clovis has really embraced the opportunities Fullerton College has to offer because his interests are so expansive. He’s interested in so many different subjects, and he’s made meaningful connections with other students and faculty.”
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.
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Being a standout among his peers has turned out to be a positive thing. 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.
Student Trustee Paloma Foster is currently taking an Honors Anthropology course with Clovis this semester and said, “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.”
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“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.”
Ultimately, he says he hopes he can take up a job that can serve the community.
Until then, he is happy traveling to different countries with his parents, earning merit badges to become an Eagle Scout, playing basketball with his friends, setting up Star Wars scenes with Lego blocks, playing with his dog Chep Chep and cat named Cotton, and of course, studying for his pilot’s license.
Fullerton College will celebrate the Class of 2023 at the 108th Commencement ceremony on May 20. For more details visit commencement.fullcoll.edu.
