Shania Muhammad made history when she graduated at 15 years old with not one, but three Bachelor’s Degrees. Now at just 16 years old, she’s achieved another remarkable feat by becoming the youngest full-time certified and salaried teacher in the United States.
After completing two years of National Teachers Professional Development Training through the Thurgood Marshall Foundation, Shania is currently a third-grade teacher at a school in her hometown.
Reflecting on her remarkable journey earlier this year, Shania expressed, “I am so excited to show others that education is essential and that you don’t have to be limited to your age to expand your mind and the things you want to learn.”
She continued, “We are black scholars although we have been told to be everything but that. We have been told we are only athletes, artists, and entertainers. But NO! We are the inventors, creators, and thinkers of our generation. We just need to tap into it!”
Shania’s aspirations don’t stop here. She has set her sights on a Master’s Degree, declaring. “This is still the beginning of my journey, and I will continue my education by obtaining my MASTER DEGREE IN BUSINESS (MBA). I have already started the program and have a 4.0 GPA!”
Shania isn’t the only history-making college graduate in her household under 21. Her 13-year-old brother, Elijah Muhammad graduated from Oklahoma City Community College in May with a science and cybersecurity degree.
And just because Elijah is only 13 and already a college graduate, doesn’t mean that he doesn’t know how to have a little fun, balancing work and play.
“I don’t have problems making friends, I’m really sociable, it’s just, when I tell them, or they ask me, what’s going on, and I tell them, you can do the same thing if you take the time to focus and study on the things you really want to do,” the young scholar said in a previous interview.
So, just where do both Shania and Elijah get their drive for success from? They get it from their father and his flexible, hands-on approach to education.
“We try to expose [them] to as many different types of learning and different types of learning styles. Some people are hands-on, some people learn by video, audio or reading. There are multiple methods, and I’m saying, why are we being told there’s only one way.”
Photo Credit(s)/Featured Image: Shania Muhammad Instagram
