12-year-old Anthaea-Grace Patricia Dennis, a student from Ottawa, Canada has made history as the country’s youngest person ever to graduate from college.
At the age of nine, she began her university journey. Three years later, Anthaea-Grace graduated in June this year with a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Science from the University of Ottawa.
“I’m going to be happy for myself too, not just for other people. I am proud of myself for getting to this point, despite all the hurdles and blocks that there have been for a person like me,” she told CBC News
At the University of Ottawa, she was faced with obstacles such as prejudice and expectations about her demeanour and speech. But the young, black and gifted little girl didn’t let those hinder her quest for greatness.
Johanna Dennis, Anthaea’s mother, has always been supportive of her daughter since she first discovered her exceptional abilities when she was two years old. Johanna, as a law professor and a single mother, was instrumental in developing Anthaea’s abilities and assuring her success.
Furthermore, Anthaea has already established herself as a researcher, having produced a 40-page thesis on the association between cerebellar functional activity and handedness. She presented her study findings at the Ottawa-Carleton Institute of Biology Symposium, which she accomplished in less than a year.
I’m very motivated by the fact that I can be the first (to do) something. You know, being able to show other young, gifted, and talented people that something like this is possible, that you can get through these roadblocks, has always been something that I’ve always wanted to do,” she said.
