Black youth are thriving in academia. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, a Texas teen has made history by becoming the youngest person to earn a master’s degree at Texas Christian University.
Carson Huey-You—a 17-year-old with a passion for STEM—began his academic journey at the Fort Worth-based institution at the age of 11. The teen—who was homeschooled prior to enrolling in the university—earned a bachelor’s degree from TCU at 14-years-old. The aspiring physicist, who was at an eighth-grade learning level at the age of five, says his love for science exploration led him to reach new heights of academic success. “I’ve known since I was young that I wanted to do physics,” he told the news outlet. “It started when I was watching ‘Bill Nye the Science Guy’ when I was home-schooled. There was never any question about it, no going back and forth with things like ‘I want to be a doctor’ to ‘I want to be a physicist,’ to ‘I want to be a firefighter.’”
Huey-You is a step closer towards having his dream realized. In December, he graced the graduation stage at the TCU commencement ceremony earning his master’s degree in physics. His accomplishments have served as inspiration for other teens, including his 14-year-old brother Cannan Huey-You who is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering.
Carson’s academic journey isn’t coming to an end anytime soon. The teen says he plans on earning a doctorate in quantum physics and wants to work as a researcher and teacher.
His accomplishments come at a time when there is a need for more racial diversity and representation in STEM. According to Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, African Americans represent only 6 percent of the STEM workforce.
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