Braxton Moral was deemed “really, really gifted,” from a young age. So gifted, it seems, that this spring the 16-year-old is expected to not only pick up his high school diploma, but a degree from Harvard, too.
The Kansas teenager is set to graduate from Ulysses High School on May 19, 2019, then attend university ceremonies on May 30 to receive his Harvard undergraduate degree, according to the Hutchinson News.
Braxton’s father, Carlos Moral, says that he and his wife began to realize their son was special when he was in the third grade, according to the Associated Press.
“They told us: ‘You need to do something. He’s not just gifted. He’s really, really gifted,’” the AP reported. His school decided to let him skip the 4th grade.
Since middle school, Braxton has been studying at the Harvard extension school, taking many of his courses online and attending classes on campus during summers in high school, according to The New York Times. He will graduate with a BA, having majored in government with a minor in English.
Braxton’s ambition does not end with earning a college degree before the age when most students graduate high school. He hopes to be admitted to Harvard Law, and then to pursue a career in national politics, per the Times. One day, he thinks he might run for president.
“I’ve had lots of people ask me why I would let him waste his smartness on being a politician,” Braxton’s mother Julie Moral, wrote to the Hutchinson News. “I tell them that politicians change the world and that is what Braxton wants to do.”
Despite his achievements, Braxton is in many ways a normal kid. He hangs out with friends, sees movies, and plays video games like World of Warcraft, according to the Times. Despite his unusual intellect, Braxton says he tries to balance his achievements with a down-to-earth attitude.
“I’m a really ambitious person,” Braxton told the Times. “I think it’s important to have goals and achieve those goals, and it’s important to be charismatic and likable. You want to be relatable.”
