Chapman University Grad Becomes Doctor at 19, Youngest Pharmacist in California

May 17, 2019

To become the youngest pharmacist in the state of California, Kassidy Vo had to give up her favorite video games, going to Disneyland and walking the beach while in grad school.

She is set to achieve that feat on Friday when she receives her doctorate in pharmacy at Chapman University at age 19, OC Register reports.

A daughter of Vietnamese immigrants, Vo has been imbued with perseverance and courage that her family has adopted during Vietnam’s tumultuous years.

Andrew Vo, Kassidy’s dad, was 10 years old when the Vietnam War ended in 1975. His family, who were from the highlands of South Vietnam, eventually made their way to the United States along with other refugees who fled their country by boat. Vo’s mother, Kacie Tran, was also part of that journey, along with her family.

As fate would have it, Andrew and Kacie eventually met, got married and made a life together in north Orange County. As parents, they focused on providing college education, something they never had, to their two children, Kassidy and Andrew.

A few years ago, Andrew graduated with a bachelor’s degree at Chapman University at age 19. At the same age, his sister did him slightly better with a doctorate.

“She was able to graduate from kindergarten in one week,” Andrew shared in an interview with OC Register. “When she reached high school, she graduated in two years and finished at the age of 14.”

While both of their feats are considered genius by most people’s standards, the siblings attribute their success mostly to working really hard. As kids, both of them were homeschooled when their mom realized their potential in studying at their own pace. By the fifth grade, Vo was already proving she was a cut above the rest, getting featured on the television show “Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?” three times.

Vo spent most of last year going through a series of internships, with some help from Mom who drove her where she needed to be. She earned experience working at the pharmacy section of Walgreens, in emergency care, in an intensive care unit, and assisted doctors on hospital rounds.

She is now looking forward to catching up on sleep after graduation. Next on her list is to visit as many Disney Worlds as possible before eventually pursuing a career in medicine.

Featured image via Facebook/Kassidy Vo

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