14-year-old Shania Muhammad has made history as the youngest person to ever graduate from Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC), and, as if that’s not impressive enough, has also graduated with honors from Langston University.
Muhammad earned an associate’s degree from both schools, according to News 9. Muhammad’s parents are educators and she attended their homeschooling program prior to college. She credits them for inspiring her accelerated educational path.
“I am proud to represent young people of color breaking barriers,” Muhammad said in a news release issued by OCCC. “Oklahoma City Community College gave me an opportunity to pursue my education early, prioritizing student success over the traditional college path.”
At age 13, she enrolled in OCCC and the University of Oklahoma (OU), but she quit OU after one semester “to follow in her parents’ footsteps and attend Langston University for the HBCU experience,” per the outlet.
“We are incredibly proud of Shania’s accomplishments, and we are honored that her journey of collegiate academic excellence began at OCCC,” said Mautra Staley Jones, OCCC’s president.
OCCC Regent Kevin Perry, the institution’s first African American chairman of the board, added: “In keeping with tradition, every year this great institution makes history with our graduating students. I’m proud to see the history Shania Muhammad is making by being the youngest graduate of our great institution, who happens to be a young Black girl at the age of 14.”
Elijah Muhammad, Shania’s father, noted in a video interview with News 9 that their family is full of scholars. Their home boasts “150 medals, over 50 trophies,” and “over one hundred academic awards,” he said.
Shania is also a published author. She documented her journey as one of the youngest African American college students in the country in her book Read, Write, Listen.
“Don’t let your age be the ceiling to your potential and I really want to push that. You cannot let that be a barrier to your life. It’s like I was in the seventh grade and the whole time I was on the collegiate level I just didn’t know it,” Shania said.
“If we put the same passion and intensity that we do into sports into education you achieve the same result,” said Elijah.
Muhammad’s 12-year-old brother is also determined to follow in his big sister’s footsteps by enrolling in classes at OCCC in the fall.
Muhammad will be continuing her classes at Langton, and hopes to earn a bachelor’s degree in family consumer science with a minor in plant soil.
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