Meet Michael Kearney - World's Youngest College Graduate
Michael Kevin Kearney born January 18, 1984 is known for setting several world records related to graduating at a young age, as well as teaching college while still a teenager. Additionally, as a game-show contestant, he has won over one million dollars.
You have to be focused on the things that make you a human and not a golden god. You have to focus on just living.
Early life
Michael was homeschooled by his mother and father, especially his mother, a Japanese American. He was diagnosed with ADHD, but his parents declined to use the offered prescription of Ritalin. His younger sister, Maeghan, is also a child prodigy and graduated from college at age sixteen. According to psychology professor Huey H Miller III, Kearney was helped to adjust well to his surroundings by his parent's determination, and the take-on-the-world attitude they passed down to him. As of 2006, Kearney's parents live in Alaska.
Kearney spoke his first words at four months. At the age of six months, he said to his pediatrician, "I have a left ear infection", and he learned to read at the age of ten months. When Michael was four, he was given multiple-choice diagnostic tests for the Johns Hopkins precocious math program; without having studied specifically for the exam, Michael achieved a perfect score.
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Kearney attended San Marin High School in Novato, California, for one year, graduating at the age of six in 1990. In 1994, Kearney and his parents were on The Tonight Show.
College education
He enrolled at Santa Rosa Junior College in Sonoma County, California, and graduated from high school at age 6, then studied at Santa Rosa Junior College, where he obtained an Associate of Science in Geology graduating at age 10. In 1993, his family moved to Alabama, Circa 1996, he was interviewed by Meredith Vieira on Turning Point ABC News. As of 2019, Kearney remained the youngest person to have a high school diploma and undergraduate degrees.
"Most people get into school when they're 6, and they get out of school around 22, 23.... I just happened to be in college that entire time." —Kearney, age ~22
At the age of 8 he enrolled at The University of South Alabama, where he received in 1994 a bachelor's degree in anthropology and is listed in the Guinness Book as the world's youngest university graduate at the age of ten. At the age of 14 he obtained a master's degree in chemistry at Middle Tennessee State University. At age 18 he obtained his master's degree in computer science at Vanderbilt University.
Research and teaching
Kearney graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a master's degree in biochemistry at the age of fourteen. His 118-page thesis was entitled "Kinetic Isotope Effects of Thymidine Phosphorylase"; the research focused on the kinetics of a glycosyltransferase involved in nucleotide synthesis. At the time, Kearney was the world's youngest postgraduate the master's degree record was since broken in 1999 by Tathagat Avatar Tulsi.
In 1996, the family moved to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and Kearney attended Vanderbilt University, taking classes and, by age sixteen, teaching as well he was not yet legally able to drive. Kearney received his second master's degree, this one from Vanderbilt University, at age seventeen or eighteen, in computer science. Kearney received his doctorate in chemistry at age 22, having returned to Middle Tennessee State University as a teaching assistant also in chemistry.
Involvement with game shows
When young, to Hollywood, to shoot a pilot episode, but the proposed game-show was not picked up.
In October 2006, Kearney became a finalist on the trivia-and-puzzle game Gold Rush, winning $100,000. In November 2006, in front of a national audience on Entertainment Tonight, he went on to win the grand prize of an additional $1 million.
Kearney was a contestant on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? which aired on April 25 & 28, 2008, winning twenty-five thousand dollars. He was also a contestant on Million Dollar Password which aired on June 14, 2009, but he did not pass the elimination round losing the tiebreaker.
Awards and degrees
- High school diploma from San Marin High School, 1990 age 6
- Associate degree from Santa Rosa Junior College age 8
- Anthropology degree from University of South Alabama, 1994 age 10
- Guinness World Record for world's youngest college graduate age 10
- Master's degree in chemistry, Middle Tennessee State University age 14
- Master's degree in computer science, Vanderbilt University age 18
- Ph.D in Chemistry, Middle Tennessee University age 22
- Teaching Assistant
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Top questions
Who is Michael Kearney?
Michael Kearney is an American child prodigy, born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on January 18, 1984, known for setting several world records for graduating young. He earned a bachelor's degree at age 10, later added master's degrees and a doctorate, taught college as a teenager, and won over one million dollars as a game-show contestant.
Is Michael Kearney still alive?
No death has been reported for Michael Kearney, who was born on January 18, 1984. The most recent dated information on him is that, as of 2019, he remained the youngest person to have a high school diploma and undergraduate degrees. He earned his doctorate in chemistry at age 22.
What world records does Michael Kearney hold?
Michael Kearney is listed in the Guinness Book as the world's youngest university graduate, earning a bachelor's degree in anthropology from the University of South Alabama in 1994 at age 10. He graduated high school at age six in 1990. At 14 he was the youngest postgraduate, a record broken in 1999 by Tathagat Avatar Tulsi.
What did Michael Kearney study for his master's degrees and doctorate?
Michael Kearney earned a master's degree in chemistry, with a biochemistry thesis, at Middle Tennessee State University at age 14. The 118-page thesis was titled Kinetic Isotope Effects of Thymidine Phosphorylase. He added a master's in computer science at Vanderbilt University at age 17 or 18, then a doctorate in chemistry at 22.
How much money did Michael Kearney win on game shows?
Michael Kearney has won more than one million dollars as a game-show contestant, mostly on Gold Rush in 2006, where he took $100,000 as a finalist and then a $1 million grand prize. He won $25,000 on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in 2008 and lost a tiebreaker on Million Dollar Password in 2009.
Did Michael Kearney teach college?
Yes. By age 16 Michael Kearney was teaching at Vanderbilt University, before he was legally able to drive. He later returned to Middle Tennessee State University as a teaching assistant in chemistry while earning his doctorate, and he is listed as having worked there.
How was Michael Kearney educated as a child?
Michael Kearney was homeschooled by his parents, especially his mother. He spoke his first words at four months and learned to read at ten months. At four he scored perfectly on diagnostic tests for the Johns Hopkins precocious math program, and he graduated high school at age six before enrolling at a community college.
