12-Year-Old Boy Set To Graduate From High School And College In The Same Week 'Having The Time Of My Life'

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - A 12-year-old boy in North Carolina who used the downtime he had during the pandemic to take on a few extra classes is getting ready to graduate from both high school and college — in the same week.

Mike Wimmer, of Salisbury, completed four years of school in one year -- two years of high school and a two-year associate's degree.

He will graduate from Rowan-Cabarrus Community College on May 21 with a 4.0 grade point average, and from Concord Academy on May 28, where he is valedictorian with a GPA of 5.45.

Wimmer, who has an interest in robotics, tells CNN that he's "the math and science guy." He's always had an affinity for technology -- he got his first iPad when he was 18 months old and wondered how it worked.

He learned almost all of his programming and robotic knowledge through trial and error and online videos, according to his website, Next Era Innovations, his first startup.

He also created a second tech startup company, called Reflect Social, which "combines popular social media platforms with Internet of Things (IoT) devices, providing a new dynamic social experience," according to its website.

"My entrepreneurial goal is to build technology that enables people to live better lives," he says.

As for what's next, Wimmer is considering various job offers in-and-out of the U.S., additional schooling or a fellowship that would let him focus on Reflect Social.

In the meantime, Wimmer wants people to know that he still makes time for normal kid activities, such as playing basketball and building Legos.

"A lot of people think I've given up my childhood or somehow lost it," he says, "and I say to them that I'm having the time of my life."