14-year-old Texas kid gets college degree, going for another

KELLER, Texas (NBC) — Already the CEO of his own company, a 14-year-old Texas student can now add ‘college graduate’ to his resume as well.

As most kids his age navigate high school halls for the first time, Ian Taylor Schlitz is marking a different milestone — securing a college diploma before he’s even old enough to drive.

“When I progressed on to college, it was almost like it’s where I belonged,” Ian said.

He was just 12 the first time he stepped onto Tarrant County College’s northeast campus. It was an unusual, but natural, progression for a kid who’s been learning at his own pace since his parents pulled him from public school at age 8.

“I’m really glad they allowed me to do this, you know, excel,” he said.

Allowing him to finish elementary, middle and high school in four years time was not so much an anomaly, but the norm, after his big sister Haley became the youngest person ever to attend SMU Law at just 16.

Their dad William Schlitz said as more families turn to homeschooling amid the pandemic, he and his wife tell them to focus on the subjects that matter most and to simply get out of their kid’s way.

“I learned about the stereotypes we all place on children,” Schlitz said. “We think what children can’t do and children have so much potential if we would just let them shine. I think they will surprise us all.”

Ian is a junior at UNT and is deciding between an MBA and med school. Though at this rate, there’s plenty of time to do both.

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