14-Year-Old Illinois Prodigy Graduates College With Double Degree
At just 14 years old, Benyamin Bamburac has made history as the youngest graduate of Lewis University in Illinois, earning a double bachelor’s degree in mathematics and computer science.
While most teens his age are navigating middle school, Benyamin is already several steps ahead, walking across the stage at Lewis on Friday to receive his diplomas, all while maintaining a 3.9 GPA.
Benyamin’s path has been extraordinary from the start. He was studying calculus by the age of five. When public school officials told his parents he would be wasting his time in traditional grade school, the family made the decision to homeschool him. That decision paid off. By the time he was 10, Benyamin had tested out of both high school and junior college.
His father, Djordje Bamburac, who began college in the former Yugoslavia but never finished, insists his son’s brilliance is entirely self-taught. “I did not teach him,” he said. “He did it himself.”
Attending college alongside much older students presented challenges, both academically and socially. But faculty members at Lewis University made efforts to ensure Benyamin felt included and supported. “We had to make sure that it’s an inclusive environment for him,” said Dr. Safwan Omari, one of Benyamin’s professors.
Benyamin didn’t live on campus, choosing instead to stay at home while pursuing his studies. He has already begun working on a master’s degree, which he expects to complete within the next year. After that, he’s hoping to begin a career, potentially in research, with a special interest in artificial intelligence.
