More great news about Black youth! Nkechinyere Chidi-Ogbolu is the next talented student to walk across the stage and onto bigger and better things before making it out of her teens. 

Chidi-Ogbolu, 18, just graduated magna cum laude from Howard University this past weekend. After obtaining a degree in Chemical Engineering, she’ll be heading off to University of California-Davis to start a doctoral program Biomedical Engineering.

In case you’re wondering how she managed all of this at such a young age, it’s a combination of intelligence – and a lot of it – and an international perspective.  Chidi-Ogbolu told The Hilltop she was raised in Nigeria, where it’s common for children to finish high school at the age of 16. It also helps that she skipped a grade. To her, going to college at 14 and graduating at 18 wasn’t difficult or even that big of a deal.

“I never felt learning was age-related. If you were taught the material and you’re serious about learning, you’ll be fine – regardless of your age,” Chidi-Ogbolu continued. “I didn’t find courses any more difficult than the typical college student.”

“I never felt learning was age-related. If you were taught the material and you’re serious about learning, you’ll be fine – regardless of your age,” she continued. “I didn’t find courses any more difficult than the typical college student.”

With a bright future ahead of her, Chidi-Ogbolu hopes to help cure diseases that affect people across the world, especially in her home country.

“I want to help fix illnesses like Ebola and other diseases – major or minor,” she said. “I want to help people in Nigeria.”