Child Genius Sawsan Ahmed Graduates From College in Florida at 12 Years Old

Sawsan Ahmed is only 12 years old, but she has earned her associate's degree and became the youngest graduate of Biological Science at Broward College in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, last December 2021.

The preteen plans to pursue further education in biology, chemistry, and computer programming at the University of Florida in the spring. The child genius relayed to ABC News that she's eager to learn more about Python programming through biology.

Ahmed's proud mother, Jeena Santos Ahmed, said that she figured Sawsan was academically gifted during their homeschooling sessions early on. Her approach was always led by Sawsan's eagerness to learn, and they quickly went through the curriculum ahead of everyone else on her level.

By age nine, Sawsan earned her high school diploma and succeeded in scoring well for her Post-secondary Education Readiness Test, a state placement for college-level courses. Because of her age, however, her parents wanted her to take it slow and adjust to college life by taking just one class per semester at Broward College.

But when the pandemic hit, Sawsan had to enroll in several classes online all at once. Thus, she was able to finish her course during the lockdowns.

Dad Noticed Her Superior IQ First

At 10 years old, Sawsan was going to the labs and walking the halls of Broward College, much to the surprise of the other students. She said that people were calling her "honey" at first because they saw her as the baby, yet towards the end of the semester, many of her classmates have been asking her questions about their school work.

Sawsan is like any typical 12-year-old who loves Disney movies and enjoys playing video games during her downtimes. Born in Rhode Island, her dad, Dr. Wesam Ahmed, was the first to say that his daughter had exceptional IQ when Sawsan was only a few days old.

The newborn was crying incessantly at the nursery, so Wesam recited an Islamic prayer to calm her down. When Wesam stopped, Sawsan cried, so the nurse prodded the dad to do it again and again until she slept. To the father, this was an indication that his daughter was gifted, but his wife didn't believe him.

However, as time passed, Sawsan learned to talk at nine months old and could speak in complete sentences at 15 months old. By the time she was two, Sawsan could read and write when most kids learn the skill around five to seven years old.

Jeena said that her husband constantly reminds her that he was the first to know that they have a special girl. Knowing Sawsan's abilities, the parents decided that it was best to homeschool her since Jeena was capable of teaching as she had a Ph.D. from Brown University.

Sawsan's parents nurtured her interests, so her schooling was very personalized. They brought her to museums and space centers, encouraging her to ask difficult questions. As a five-year-old, the child genius was already curious about the concept of same-sex marriage and differences in religion since they are practicing Muslims. Her parents, however, didn't push her to study as Sawsan set her own pace.

Plans to Develop a Medical AI

Sawsan plans to develop a tool that could improve cancer detection using medical artificial intelligence one day. She decided to enroll at the University of Florida because of their Python programming course for biologists, combining both her interests.

The 12-year-old girl said she hopes the technology she will invent can "save many lives at once." She has been inspired by her father, who saves one life at a time as a doctor.

Sawsan also looks up to many women working in the STEM field (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The child genius doesn't believe she is missing out on being a kid because she sees her college life as an add-on and not a replacement for her childhood.