Elijah Muhammad made history as he accepted his diploma from Oklahoma City Community College on Saturday.
On Saturday, his family says he became the youngest Black student to graduate college with a degree in computer science and cybersecurity, according to ABC news affiliate KOCO-TV. When he enrolled at Oklahoma City Community College in August 2020, he made history as the youngest Black college student in the state, per local station KFOR.
“I didn’t really understand the full impact of it until my dad fully explained it and was like, ‘You’re really doing this. You’re the youngest to ever do it,’” Elijah told KOCO-TV.
The teen actually has four diplomas from the school to his name now, he told the outlet.
“He is the smartest person I know,” sister Shania Muhammad, a 15-year-old college grad, told the outlet. “Regardless of if you’re older or not, it’s like I’ve never seen nothing like him.”
Elijah previously told KFOR that the siblings are always rooting for each other. “We have a bunch of competitiveness. But she really helps me out with a lot of my studying,” he said during an interview with the station.
Elijah Muhammad
Elijah Muhammad. RUDOLPH J TOLARJR
Elijah is also currently enrolled at the Ohio State University, where he is working toward a Bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity and forensics, according to KOCO-TV.
After enrolling in community college, the school’s vice president of academic affairs, Dr. Vincent Bridges, told KFOR that he believed Elijah was the first of many more students like him to come.
“We’re going to see a lot more individuals showing that they are cognitively ready and want to take that step, just like Elijah.”
