Poll of the Day > 12 y/o Graduates HS AND COLLEGE and wants to make America's Military POWERFUL!!!

(+) Yeah! (+)

12 y/o Mike Wimmer from North Carolina is set to graduate high school AND college in the SAME week after taking an impressive course load during the pandemic and has already lined up with JOB OFFERS but his dream is to STRENGTHEN America's MILITARY!!

He was always a super speedy learner, teaching himself computer programming at 5 and picking up other skills from online videos

He completed 4 years of high school, including 2 years worth of dual enrollment classes of an associates degree before becoming a teenager and next month he'll graduate from Rowan-Cabarrus Community College before graduating from Concord Academy High School as Valedictorian

He said "I went through all the grades in school at a faster pace"

He'll graduate with a 4.0 GPA on May 21st at community college and on May 28 he'll graduate at the top of his class with a 5.4 GPA and even though he's much younger than his graduating classmates, he claims he gets along "really well" with them and was even nominated HOMECOMING COURT

As for what's next, he says "I have many avenues i could take and though it is a hard decision, it is exciting to be completing this milestone in my journey"

He has many JOB offers lined up as he's weighing his options including a fellowship to work on his startup called Reflect Social that combines popular socia media platforms with internet of things devices

He said "I take great pride in using my skills in support of our MILITARY men and women. If what i can provide protects or gives an advantage to our troops and brings just one soldier home safely to their family, then my efforts are well worth it"

He's a self proclaimed math and science guy who is into robotics and technology and got his first iPad at 18 months before getting into computer programming.

Mike says however he's still a kid who does 12 year old things such as playing with his hot wheels but takes great pride in what he has accomplished and hopes he can one day do something to make America's Troops safe in combat..

Do you think it should be legal for a 12 y/o to start working?

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Typically I'd say no, but in a case like this where he's about to graduate college, why not? What else is he gonna do, NG+?

Red_Frog posted...

but in a case like this where he's about to graduate college, why not?

Because it sets a dangerous precedent. You can't make child labor legal for just one child.

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Full Throttle posted...

Do you think it should be legal for a 12 y/o to start working?

Clearly most age-based laws need exceptions. Child labor laws exist to protect the adult workforce from being undercut and to ensure that children are able to get an education. But if you already have a kid finish college, it might make sense to have him go on directly to work if that's what he wants.

Full Throttle posted...

He'll graduate with a 4.0 GPA on May 21st at community college and on May 28 he'll graduate at the top of his class with a 5.4 GPA and even though he's much younger than his graduating classmates, he claims he gets along "really well" with them and was even nominated HOMECOMING COURT

...oh, it's just a community college? He should probably go to a normal college first. Otherwise making him sit idle for 4 years doesn't help anybody.

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Zareth posted...

You can't make child labor legal for just one child.

Sure you can, it'd be easy. Print him up some work permits.

Zareth posted...

Because it sets a dangerous precedent. You can't make child labor legal for just one child.

You wouldn't just be doing it for one child, you'd be making an exemption for all children who meet the criteria. And it's actually one of the easiest things in the world, since many laws have either/or conditions.

It would only become an issue if, say, every child was put into college early and it was just being used to game the system, but that's a slippery slope argument where the law could be re-evaluated in the unlikely case of abuse.

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He should get a BA in something like aerospace engineering, then he could get a job designing fighter jets or attack and utility helicopters.
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People shouldnt be able to skip years in school.

blu posted...

People shouldnt be able to skip years in school.

Whynot? If social engagements were meant to be part of the curriculum they would be.

As for making the military more powerful... good! The only reason the US military is so expensive is because it sucks so bad. If they would just 'git gud' and hire talented 12yo's to do their work they would save billions of dollars.

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Wunderkinds like this are usually great at academics but can struggle with other things in life and dont always work well with others. I wish the kid well though hopefully he builds some sweet ass robots for us to fight.

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Zareth posted...

Because it sets a dangerous precedent. You can't make child labor legal for just one child.

You could make it legal for anyone in certain predicaments like this, though. Not many people are going to be able to graduate both high school and college with perfect scores at the age of 12...

blu posted...

People shouldnt be able to skip years in school.

If they're smart enough, I don't see an issue with it. If they know their stuff, they know they're stuff. Why should you waste their time going over stuff they know?
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I'm not sure why kids are allowed to graduate that early

Don't rush their childhood. Let them stick around kids their age.

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blu posted...

People shouldnt be able to skip years in school.

People shouldn't be held back because the system is geared towards an average. And honestly, the entire idea of years and fixed time should probably be abolished in favor of educational tracks and modules where some people will naturally finish sooner than others. Not that we can ever expect a system benefiting students to happen so long as powerful teachers unions exist and put the good of teachers far above students. (And, of course, equality-obsessed leftists dislike the idea of kids being able to get ahead.)

Muscles posted...

Don't rush their childhood. Let them stick around kids their age.

It doesn't really help them, though. Kids who are able to rush through those grades are going to be so far above their peers that they're unlikely to find much camaraderie. And while a lot of his success is probably the result of drive, intelligence likely plays a role as well.

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Zeus posted...

It doesn't really help them, though. Kids who are able to rush through those grades are going to be so far above their peers that they're unlikely to find much camaraderie. And while a lot of his success is probably the result of drive, intelligence likely plays a role as well.

This is most likely true. I mean, I cant say if what the article says is true or not, but it seems like his older friends liked him enough. I mean, he claims he got along well with them... Who's to say he's going to get along well with all the other kids his age, though...
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Zeus posted...

It doesn't really help them, though. Kids who are able to rush through those grades are going to be so far above their peers that they're unlikely to find much camaraderie. And while a lot of his success is probably the result of drive, intelligence likely plays a role as well.

There are other reasons than education for kids to be in school or other programs with kids. They won't learn how to properly socialize or make emotional connections, no amount of intelligence can teach you that. Look how bad some people are that did have enough opportunity to socialize and still turned out to be creeps, weirdos, or just completely terrible at socializing, there is a good chance he would turn into a recluse and/or weirdo.

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Muscles posted...

They won't learn how to properly socialize or make emotional connections, no amount of intelligence can teach you that.

But that's assuming they properly socialize with kids their age. If he doesn't connect with the kids his age, then forcing him to be around them doesn't help. If did better socializing with people in high school and college, then maybe they helped me more than being around kids his age...
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Muscles posted...

There are other reasons than education for kids to be in school or other programs with kids. They won't learn how to properly socialize or make emotional connections, no amount of intelligence can teach you that. Look how bad some people are that did have enough opportunity to socialize and still turned out to be creeps, weirdos, or just completely terrible at socializing, there is a good chance he would turn into a recluse and/or weirdo.

...because they're not going to able to learn those things with people far below their level. He's very likely two to three standard intelligence deviations above most classmates his own age. If put into an environment like that, he's LESS likely to be able to socialize because he's almost certainly on a much higher intellectual level. He would either need to be in classes with people roughly equal to him, or with people who are older than him. If anything, trying to put him in with average children will make him less able to socialize. A one-size-fits all approach only works for average people. It hurts people above and below that level.

More importantly, even if you somehow felt that he needs to interact with people his own age, school is perhaps the worst place to do that because most of the average school day involves kids sitting around and being lectured to. He's not going to be learning there. And by holding him back, you're also ruining his education and almost certainly ensuring that he'll operate at a far lower level in society than he's capable of.

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Zareth posted...

Because it sets a dangerous precedent. You can't make child labor legal for just one child.

what about child actors

JigsawTDC posted...

what about child actors

they still have to do school and stuff, its very regulated and costs a lot of money

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Mead posted...

they still have to do school and stuff, its very regulated and costs a lot of money

I know. In my brief time as a PA, there was a production I worked on that had a child actor and scheduling was A LOT tighter as a result. I strongly recommend all scriptwriters include an ominous child actor in the background of any and every scene, that way production is less of a headache for literally anyone who isn't the director. I was more playing devil's advocate in pointing out that the precedent is already there.

Also, this kid only has an AA. Just stick him in school until he's 18 and he'll come out with like three Master's (two of Science, one of Arts) and two PhD's. Probably finish a novel in his off time or something.

Zeus posted...

...because they're not going to able to learn those things with people far below their level. He's very likely two to three standard intelligence deviations above most classmates his own age. If put into an environment like that, he's LESS likely to be able to socialize because he's almost certainly on a much higher intellectual level. He would either need to be in classes with people roughly equal to him, or with people who are older than him. If anything, trying to put him in with average children will make him less able to socialize. A one-size-fits all approach only works for average people. It hurts people above and below that level.

More importantly, even if you somehow felt that he needs to interact with people his own age, school is perhaps the worst place to do that because most of the average school day involves kids sitting around and being lectured to. He's not going to be learning there. And by holding him back, you're also ruining his education and almost certainly ensuring that he'll operate at a far lower level in society than he's capable of.

Being intelligent doesn't mean you aren't capable of enjoying cartoons or video games or anything else kids like

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Zeus posted...

People shouldn't be held back because the system is geared towards an average. And honestly, the entire idea of years and fixed time should probably be abolished in favor of educational tracks and modules where some people will naturally finish sooner than others. Not that we can ever expect a system benefiting students to happen so long as powerful teachers unions exist and put the good of teachers far above students. (And, of course, equality-obsessed leftists dislike the idea of kids being able to get ahead.)

It doesn't really help them, though. Kids who are able to rush through those grades are going to be so far above their peers that they're unlikely to find much camaraderie. And while a lot of his success is probably the result of drive, intelligence likely plays a role as well.

And then the kid gets the shit kicked out of him for saying something he shouldn't because he didn't take the time to grow up first and everybody at that point SHOULD be calling him a fucking fool for not doing exactly that.

I graduated 4 years early, started a year late, and skipped 4th grade (as in didn't go to school that whole year lol). I have regretted not having a normal HS experience though, even though most say they hated it.

First time I kissed a girl, was about 10 minutes before having sex with her when I was 19 and had just gotten out of the AF (gulf war ended). I never got to hold hands, do first dates, kiss etc, went straight from 0 to 60, didn't pass go, didn't collect $200.

I couldn't keep going to school though when I had construction jobs paying $15 an hour in the late 80's instead. I even turned down a full 4 year scholarship like an idiot.

Anyway they really should have schools/training etc for kids that can learn very fast, it's better today then when I was younger but still not great, and if you do skip grades/advance fast you still give up most of your social life. I don't think it's really worth it, but of course at the time it sure seems like it is.

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Arcturusisnow posted...

And then the kid gets the shit kicked out of him for saying something he shouldn't because he didn't take the time to grow up first and everybody at that point SHOULD be calling him a fucking fool for not doing exactly that.

Youre assuming that he would have learned if he stayed with his grade. But he probably wouldnt. He may not have even interacted with people his age...
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