At 13, Elijah Muhammad made history as the youngest Black American to graduate with a degree in cyber security.
His sister, Shania Muhammad, 16, is the youngest teacher in the United States.
She holds three degrees and is currently pursuing a master’s in business administration at Southeastern Oklahoma State University.
Both are inspiring kids in their community to pursue their dreams.
This is their journey as told by WoK:
Elijah Muhammad Graduating At 13
Recently, Elijah Muhammad became the youngest African American to graduate with an associate’s degree in cyber security and computer science at 13.
He graduated from Oklahoma City Community College, which he joined in August 2020.
Aside from his four diplomas, Elijah also holds 10 IBM certifications from Course Hero and one Google IT certification.
He is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in cyber security and forensics at Oklahoma University.
But how has he achieved such a feat at such a young age?
Speaking to ABC News, Elijah said he was motivated by his siblings, all of whom completed college at young ages.
His sister, Shania Mohammed, made history in 2022 after graduating from Langston University with two Associate’s degrees at the age of 14.
Not wanting to be left behind, Elijah told his father of his desire to join college.
He told Good Morning America that his dad had a home school program that enables one to learn things they’re interested in.
His father signed him up for a six-month cyber security program at Coursera, which he completed in three weeks.
From there, he joined Oklahoma City University College to pursue a degree in cyber security and computer science.
By the age of 13, he had achieved 4 diplomas from the university.
I’m really good at this, and I really enjoy it,” he said. “It’s really not doing any work, I’m just really having fun,” he said.
Aside from his achievements, Elijah is also a 10-time wrestling champion and a three-time state champion for the USA Wrestling League.
He is also a motivational speaker who helps other students achieve their dreams.
Naturally, his family is proud of him.
“He is the smartest person I know. And regardless of if you’re older or not, it’s like I’ve never seen anything like him,” said his sister Shania Muhammad.
Elijah’s Sister, Shania
In 2022, Shania Muhammad made history as the youngest graduate to ever grace the corridors of Langston University.
At 15, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Family Consumer Sciences.
Like her brother, her journey is no less impressive.
By 14, she had also gotten two associate’s degrees, topping her class.
“I didn’t wake up one day and say, ‘Hey, Dad, sign me up for college.’ There were plenty of levels before I even got to this point, things we’ve been working on since I was 8, 9 years old,” Shania said in interviews.
She is currently pursuing a master’s in business administration at Southeastern Oklahoma State University.
She is also in the process of publishing her book called ‘Read, Write, Listen: 13 in College.’ How I did it.
She says the book is a blueprint of her achievements.
Family
According to Elijah Mohammad Snr, his children’s achievements are not by chance.
He says he and his wife have created a family environment where education is valued.
He said that looking at famous African Americans who have achieved greatness, he noticed they were mostly entertainers and athletes.
He did not understand why the black community was not known for their scholarly achievements but felt it was something he could change.
So he became his children’s cheerleader when it came to studies.
Every time one of them got an A, the family would celebrate by eating out or buying new clothes.
The trick seems to have worked, as four out of his five children ranging from 13 to 21 have college degrees.
All four aspire to get their doctorate degrees like their mother, Atashia Muhammad, an assistant professor at Langston University.
