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WHILE MOST 14 YEAR OLDS WALK THE HALLS FOR THEIR FIRST YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL, 14 YEAR OLD WEST MUHAMMAD WALKS COPPIN STATE UNIVERSITY’S CAMPUS FOR HIS FIRST YEAR OF COLLEGE. I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO GO TO COLLEGE AND BE ON CAMPUS, HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE THAT I’VE SEEN ON TV AND READ IN BOOKS. BUT WEST NEVER IMAGINED HE’D BE STUDYING CYBERSECURITY ENGINEERING AT COPPIN STATE UNIVERSITY ON A FULL SCHOLARSHIP BEFORE HE’S EVEN OLD ENOUGH TO DRIVE. YEAH, I WAS A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS BECAUSE ALTHOUGH I WAS READY TO COME TO SCHOOL AND, YOU KNOW, JUST GO THROUGH IT WAS, I WOULD SAY A LITTLE INTERESTING, LIKE PEOPLE WOULD COME UP TO ME AND ASK, HOW DID YOU GET HERE? YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT. SO I STARTED REALIZING THAT THIS IS RARE. IT’S NOT JUST RARE, IT’S THE FIRST TIME COPPIN HAS SEEN A 14 YEAR OLD FRESHMAN IN SCHOOL HISTORY, BUT WEST HAS ALWAYS BEEN AHEAD OF THE CURVE. HIS MOM TAUGHT HIM TO READ BY THE TIME HE WAS THREE, HE STARTED FIRST GRADE. BY THE TIME HE WAS FOUR. ATTENDING PRIVATE SCHOOLS, HOME SCHOOLING, AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THROUGHOUT HIS EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY, EVEN AT SCHOOL, I USED TO REMEMBER I WAS THE YOUNGEST OUT OF MY FRIEND GROUPS AND SOMETIMES THE SHORTEST, THEY WOULD SAY. BUT THAT HASN’T STOPPED WEST BEFORE AND IT’S NOT STOPPING HIM NOW. HE’S NOT STAYING IN THE DORMS ON CAMPUS, BUT HE IS STUDYING HARD ALREADY, ACING EXAMS FOR HUNDREDS AND IMPRESSING TEACHERS AND SCHOOL STAFF. BUT WEST SAYS IT’S NOT ABOUT THAT OR BEING THE FIRST 14 YEAR OLD FRESHMAN. FOR ME, IT’S NOT SO MUCH AS MAKING HISTORY THAT’S IMPORTANT, BUT IT’S REALLY JUST GIVING AN EXAMPLE TO THE OTHER YOUNG 13 YEAR OLDS OUT THERE, 14 OR EVEN 15 YEAR OLDS THAT ARE ASPIRING TO DO THESE CERTAIN THINGS. SO MAYBE IF THEY AREN’T TRYING TO GO TO COLLEGE, BUT THEY MAY WANT TO START THEIR OWN BUSINESS, IT’S JUST GREAT GIVING THAT EXAMPLE TO THEM SO HE WON’T BE THE LAST 14 YEAR OLD FRESHMAN TO WALK COPPIN STATE UNIVERSITY’S CAMPUS. I’M BRIANN

14-year-old boy makes history as youngest freshman ever at Coppin State University

While most 14-year-olds walk the halls of a high school for their freshman year, West Muhammad walks Coppin State University’s campus for his freshman year of college.”I’ve always wanted to go to college and be on campus and have that experience that I’ve seen on TV and have read in books,” Muhammad said. Muhammad never imagined he’d be studying cybersecurity engineering at Coppin on a full scholarship before he was even old enough to drive. “I was a little bit nervous because, although I was ready to come to school and just go through it, it was a little interesting,” Muhammad said. “People would come up to me and ask me, ‘How did you get here?’ And, I started realizing that this is rare.”It’s not just rare. It’s the first time Coppin has seen a 14-year-old freshman. Muhammad is the youngest freshman in school history, but he has always been ahead of the curve. His mom taught him to read by the time he was 3, and he started first grade by the time he was 4. His mom homeschooled him for some of his educational journeys, but he has also attended both private and public schools.”Even at school, I remember I was the youngest out of my friend groups, and sometimes, the shortest, they would say,” Muhammad said.That hasn’t stopped Muhammad before and it’s not stopping him now. He’s not staying in the dorms on campus, but he is studying hard, already acing exams and impressing teachers and school staff as the youngest student on campus. “For me, it’s not so much as making history,” Muhammad said. “That’s important, but it’s really just giving an example to the other young 13-year-olds out there, 14, or even 15-year-olds that are aspiring to do these certain things. So, maybe if they aren’t trying to go to college, but they may want to start their own business, it’s just great giving that example to them.”In his spare time, Muhammad enjoys journalism, which he said is another one of his passions that he hopes to explore when he graduates.

BALTIMORE —

While most 14-year-olds walk the halls of a high school for their freshman year, West Muhammad walks Coppin State University’s campus for his freshman year of college.

“I’ve always wanted to go to college and be on campus and have that experience that I’ve seen on TV and have read in books,” Muhammad said.

Muhammad never imagined he’d be studying cybersecurity engineering at Coppin on a full scholarship before he was even old enough to drive.

“I was a little bit nervous because, although I was ready to come to school and just go through it, it was a little interesting,” Muhammad said. “People would come up to me and ask me, ‘How did you get here?’ And, I started realizing that this is rare.”

It’s not just rare. It’s the first time Coppin has seen a 14-year-old freshman. Muhammad is the youngest freshman in school history, but he has always been ahead of the curve. His mom taught him to read by the time he was 3, and he started first grade by the time he was 4. His mom homeschooled him for some of his educational journeys, but he has also attended both private and public schools.

“Even at school, I remember I was the youngest out of my friend groups, and sometimes, the shortest, they would say,” Muhammad said.

That hasn’t stopped Muhammad before and it’s not stopping him now. He’s not staying in the dorms on campus, but he is studying hard, already acing exams and impressing teachers and school staff as the youngest student on campus.

“For me, it’s not so much as making history,” Muhammad said. “That’s important, but it’s really just giving an example to the other young 13-year-olds out there, 14, or even 15-year-olds that are aspiring to do these certain things. So, maybe if they aren’t trying to go to college, but they may want to start their own business, it’s just great giving that example to them.”

In his spare time, Muhammad enjoys journalism, which he said is another one of his passions that he hopes to explore when he graduates.