12-year-old boy is graduating high school and college in the same week

By Jack Owens May 11, 2021

For many, the COVID-19 pandemic has kept us locked inside our houses, with no plans and nothing to do. One 12-year-old boy decided that “sitting around” was not in his vocabulary, and has just finished four years of classes in one year, set to graduate high school and college at the end of May.

Mike Wimmer from North Carolina has always been a curious and intelligent kid, and with the time he had during the pandemic, he decided that nothing could be better than getting his diploma from Concord Academy High School in the same year that he gets his associates degree from Rowan-Cabarrus Community College.

“With COVID, of course being locked in, I figured out, hey, might as well take some more classes, right? So I actually did four years of school in one,” said the 12-year-old. “I just did it at a much faster pace. I did my junior and senior year of high school along with my first two years of college for my associate’s degree at the same time. Using dual enrollment classes at both places also. It was kind of a, hey, if I take a few more classes I can get an associate’s degree. Why not?”

If doing four years of classes in just 12 months isn’t impressive enough, he will also be valedictorian of his high school with a 5.45 GPA, and will leave college with a 4.0.

Despite being significantly younger than his classmates, Mike gets along well with the older kids, and was even elected to his Homecoming Court last year.

Mike calls himself a “math and science guy,” and has been interested in robotics since he first received an iPad at the age of 18-months. He was inspired to create his own startup called Reflect Social which simplifies home smart technology with the goal of helping others.

While he is academically ahead of almost everyone his age, Mike wants people to know that he is still a kid, and loves playing basketball and building Legos.

“A lot of people think I’ve given up my childhood or somehow lost it,” Wimmer said, “and I say to them that I’m having the time of my life.”