The California wunderkind who graduated from college at 12 and wants to be a pilot by 16

By Sakshi Venkatraman - NBC News

A 12-year-old boy last week became the youngest person to graduate from Fullerton College in California.

Clovis Hung, who began college when he was 9, said his decision to enroll in the school was motivated by a friendly sense of competition. The youngest said he had heard about Jack Rico, a Fullerton alumnus, who at age 13 had set a record as the youngest person to graduate, and decided to surpass that achievement.

"I also wanted to be the youngest graduate," Hung told Fullerton radio station KABC. "I didn't expect to beat him."

Clovis Hung began his studies at Fullerton College in California when he was 9 years old. Last week he graduated at the age of 12.via NBC4

Hung took the stage Saturday in his gown and cap alongside other Fullerton graduates, most of them at least 10 years his senior.

The boy received five Associate of Arts degrees: History, Social Sciences, Social Behavior and Self-Development, Human Arts and Expressions, and Science and Mathematics. He said he hoped to win another title next year.

Hung enrolled at Fullerton through a special admissions program, which allows a student of any age to take courses for college credit. According to a school news release, her mother combined college classes with a curriculum at home to complete her academic requirements.

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"Clovis is super inquisitive, mature, diligent, disciplined and highly motivated," said Song Choi, his mother. "It's also very curious and traditional public schools couldn't satisfy his curiosity, so the best choice was college."

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Adjusting to the experience of being present in classes at the universitywas difficult at first, Hung said, but she found support from her new professors and classmates. Everyone welcomed him with open arms and was willing to have conversations with him about the courses, he said.

"When I had questions, I would ask them, and if they had them, I would ask me," she said. "They treated me like a brother."

His next goal: a pilot's license for age 16

Some teachers worried about how a 9-year-old boy would relate to older classmates, the statement said, but Hung found his place in the group quickly.

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"Clovis has been a great mix of 'kid' and college student," said Kenneth Collins, a biology professor at Fullerton. "He's mature enough for the other students to take him seriously, but young enough for them to take care of him like he's a younger brother and give him encouragement."

Like many other graduates, Hung hopes to spend this summer traveling. He enjoys playing baseball five times a week, enjoys the game Minecraft and Roblox, and is winning medals as a Boy Scout.

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"I also joined the Civic Air Patrol, hoping to get my pilot's license at age 16," Hung said in the statement.