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SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) — A 12-year-old student will graduate Friday from Evergreen Valley College with an associate degree in mathematics, a perfect 4.0 GPA and valedictorian honors. Phung-Hieu Diep, who goes by Hieu and whose initials spell “P-H-D,” is completing college years ahead of schedule.
When asked about his approach to learning, he said, “When I don’t understand something, I work really hard on it, ask questions and try to learn from mistakes.”
His academic journey began in third grade, when he realized he was ready for more advanced coursework.
“I realized in, like, third grade, that I was already able to do pre-algebra, instead of just multiplication tables. So that’s really where my journey started,” he said.
He soon asked his father for greater challenges.
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“I asked my dad if I could enroll in harder classes,” Diep said.
What started as a single pre-calculus class at Berkeley Community College quickly accelerated.
By age 10, Diep left middle school to attend college full-time. He’s had to attend six different community colleges to put together a full-time course load due to his age.
Now graduating, he already has his next step plan.
“My current future goals are getting another degree,” he said.
He plans to continue his education, with hopes of eventually attending UC Berkeley and then medical school.
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When asked which medical school: “I don’t really know much about schools right now.”
But Diep does know he wants to become an infectious disease physician.
“I chose that job to pursue because of my experience in outbreaks in catfish aquaculture from my research presentation,” he said.
His research focuses on harmful bacteria impacting catfish farms in Vietnam, work inspired by a recent visit to his parents’ home country. Diep overheard local farmers talking about a problem and wanted to help solve it. That research work is now set to be published in a scientific journal, and he will present it in Washington, D.C. next month.
Despite his academic achievements, Diep said he is still a typical 12-year-old in many ways.
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“I usually call my friends on, like, Discord, Google Chat. Play ‘Minecraft’ or ‘Roblox,'” he said.
He also maintains friendships and activities outside the classroom.
“So, I still hang out with some of my friends from elementary school. Like playing online video games and going to Taekwondo classes three times a week,” he said.
At home, he does not always win arguments with his parents.
“Not always,” he said when asked if he is always right.
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Diep said adjusting with his college-aged peers has sometimes been challenging, but he’s made a lot of friends while on campus.
“You know, it’s really hard, because sometimes you don’t know enough culture to understand what they’re saying,” he said.
Even with his accomplishments, he continues to set personal goals: “to get better at Vietnamese and get a black belt in Taekwondo.”
Beyond academics, Diep said one of the most important lessons he has learned was from Dr. Jose Cabrera at San Jose City College — a concept with what he calls “productive struggling.”
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“The idea of productive struggling, that learning is supposed to be easy all the time. So I would tell, like other people, that it’s okay to struggle, because that’s just part of learning. But it’s also important to know when to ask for help,” he said.
As he prepares to graduate at just 12 years old, Diep said his experience has been rewarding.
“I tell people that, like, it’s been an amazing experience. College. Let me dive into math and other subjects,” he said.
For Diep, the journey is far from over, and he said he plans to keep learning.
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