16-Year-Old Student Becomes Youngest University of Toronto Graduate in 40 Years

June 28, 2021

A 16-year-old is set to become the youngest student to graduate from the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Arts & Sciences in at least 40 years.

An unconventional path: Vivian Xie, who found the last four years of her university life to be “pretty normal,” is double majoring in both biology and cell and molecular biology. She plans on pursuing a master’s degree in applied immunology at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine this fall, reported CBC.

Xie skipped several grades and even completed Grade 10 over a single summer.
At the age of 12, she started studying at the University of Prince Edward Island before transferring to the University of Toronto.
Xie hopes to complete a Ph.D. at the age of 22, according to the University of Toronto.
While speaking about the future, she told CP24 that she still hasn’t decided “between academia and a more industry science approach.”

Xie’s inspiration: The young achiever attributed part of her academic success to her grandmother, who was a teacher, according to CBC.

Xie’s grandma instilled a love for learning by teaching Xie as she played in the park or spent time with friends.
“She was slipping in little bits of unnoticeable information into my child brain,” Xie shared. “And I wouldn’t notice at all. I would think that she was playing a very fun game with me… That’s how I ended up associating learning with a lot of fun.”
Xie also learned “very good life philosophies” from her grandmother. “You know, the Asian parent thing where every little thing is a life lesson,” she said.

Featured Image via CBC Toronto

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