La Mirada 13-Year-Old Celebrates College Graduation With Front Yard Ceremony

LA MIRADA (CBSLA) — A stage was set up in front of a La Mirada home Wednesday to celebrate a 13-year-old boy's milestone achievement.

With tons of friends and family cheering him on from their cars, Jack Rico marked his graduation in style. But this special teen was not celebrating the end of his middle school career like so many of his peers.

Jack just became the youngest Fullerton College graduate, finishing with not one, but four associate's degrees.

"I don't know," he said when asked how he got so smart. "It just happened."

But Jack is quick to clarify that he is not a genius and actually worked really hard for this momentous achievement.

"You never just know everything," he said. "You have to study day and night."

Jack's mom, Ru Andrade, started homeschooling when Jack was in the third grade after recognizing that her son needed more of a challenge than he was getting at his elementary school.

"He's just full of knowledge about everything," Andrade said.

Andrade said that by the time Jack was 11, he had surpassed every single high school standard, remaining accountable for his own grades along the way.

"I did my best," Jack said. "And I can't be sad with the outcome, whether it's an A or lower."

Though, Jack admitted, he had never received a grade lower than an A.

"You know, for us, his heart is bigger than his brain," Andrade said.

Jack's next stop is the University of La Verne, and though he's not quite sure about a career just yet, he said he loves screenwriting.

"I'm still trying to, like, explore my interests," he said.

And while he has dreams of having lunch with Steven Spielberg and Michael Bay, for now he was content to celebrate his graduation with friends and family.

"Thank you all so much for coming and supporting me," he said.