12-year-old girl graduates from South Florida college

The brilliant Egyptian 

News4Jax. Excerpt (Link: 12-year-old girl graduates from South Florida College)

 Sawsan Ahmed loves Minecraft, Disney movies, will attend the University of Florida next

Sawsan Ahmed, 12, outside the Broward College library on Dec. 13, 2021. (Emily Michot/Miami Herald) (Emily Michot, Photo provided by Miami Herald)

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – During her first in-person biology lab on campus, the professor asked the class to find an object and swab it for bacteria. Most students wiped their desks and phones. Sawsan Ahmed reached into her backpack and pulled out her white teddy bear, Ben.

Her Broward College classmates looked at her curiously; one casually asked her age.

“Ten,” replied Ahmed to the college freshmen and sophomores.

At the beginning of the semester, they often referred to her as “sweetie” and “honey,” but by the end, they sought her academic expertise.

That was about two years ago. On Wednesday, Sawsan, who towers at nearly 5-foot-8 like some of her peers, but wears ponytails and other hair-dos carefully styled by her mom, graduated from Broward College, the youngest graduate in the school’s 61-year history. A 15-year-old previously held the record.

The now-12-year-old earned an associate’s degree with a concentration in biological science and a 4.0 GPA. In January, she will go on to the University of Florida, where she will study microbiology and cell science.

“It was awesome. I’m so happy,” Sawsan said after the ceremony, her first graduation. Her favorite part was when Broward College President Gregory Adam Haile recognized her on stage.

“Thank you, Sawsan, you have helped us demonstrate that Broward College can support the dreams, regardless of age or academic pursuits,” Haile said, while the crowd cheered.

Loves Disney movies, Minecraft

At first glance, Sawsan is like any other girl her age. She likes playing video games like Minecraft and watching Disney movies — she recently saw “Encanto” and loved it, although “Zootopia” remains her favorite.

But she has been amazing people from an early age.

Shortly after she was born in Providence, Rhode Island, her dad, Dr. Wesam Ahmed, remembers Sawsan was crying, so he started reciting the Islamic call to prayer. She turned to look at him and immediately stopped crying. He stopped reciting, and she started crying again.

The nurse looked at the newborn, at her father and then back at her. She commanded the dad to start reciting, which led to the end of Sawsan’s wails — again.

Ahmed rushed to his wife’s side and announced he believed the baby’s IQ was high because she had recognized his voice, noting the months he spent by his wife’s side talking to Sawsan in the womb.

Jeena Santos Ahmed laughed at her husband, thinking he was behaving like any other proud dad. She made fun of him, but soon realized he was right.

Now he doesn’t miss an opportunity to tease her about it. “He brings it up all the time,” Jeena said.

Read on here.