In many ways, Clovis Hung is a typical 15-year-old — working on getting his driver’s license, gaming with friends, practicing archery and showing up at meetings for Scouting America, previously called the Boy Scouts.
Except, unlike his peers, Hung just walked across the stage of UC Irvine’s Bren Events Center and made history, becoming the youngest person to graduate from UC Irvine’s School of Humanities, earning a bachelor’s degree in history and a minor in anthropology.
The bachelor’s degree is Hung’s latest academic milestone, part of a path through higher education that began when he enrolled in his first class at Fullerton College at age 9.
“Some of the classes are definitely hard,” Hung said. “You have to really work hard in getting that A.”
The foundation for such high achievement at such a young age centers around his intense desire to learn, Hung said.
“I definitely realized that I had more curiosity than other people … always trying to learn something new, always asking questions,” he said.
Hung was homeschooled by his mother, Song Choi, who said she was astonished as her son absorbed information nearly as fast as she could teach it.
In second grade, Hung completed a yearlong math class in three months and grasped pre-algebra in third grade, said Choi, a longtime tutor who began teaching her son during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“He really wants to learn,” Choi said. “He is very curious.”
Hung was born in Hong Kong and moved to the United States as a child.
While he has fond memories of elementary school, Hung said he wasn’t satisfied with the pace of instruction.
Hung displayed a passion for history and asked his mother if he could take a history class at a local college.
So, in 2020, Hung enrolled in his first college course at Fullerton College through the school’s Special Admit Program.
“After that first history class, I found out I could handle it well and instantly fell in love with college life,” he said at the time. “So, I challenged myself to take more classes.”
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By spring 2023, Hung earned five degrees and became Fullerton College’s youngest graduate on record.
He was 12 years old.
Hung was 13 when he enrolled in UC Irvine and acknowledged a bit of awkwardness at first, not sure how he would be received by students who were years older.
“It took me a little bit of time to get used to being around older students, but they were really supportive,” Hung said.
With the acceptance from other students, Hung said his confidence grew.
“I can proudly say that I’m able to communicate with them proficiently,” he said.
With a bachelor’s degree in hand, Hung is circling back to the learning environment where he made headlines as a 12-year-old.
He has been accepted into Fullerton College’s new Bachelor of Science program in drone and autonomous systems.
“Getting the drone degree is just for personal passion because I love drones personally,” he said. “I love building them, and I’m currently working on my own drone.”
He has a strong interest in aviation and envisions himself, perhaps, as a commercial pilot, but has not committed to a specific career path.
“I want to try a lot of things,” he said.
Hung is aware of critics who argue that children placed in a university setting are deprived of a traditional childhood.
“That really hurts sometimes,” Hung said of the critics. “I have my own way of doing things. I can’t tell other people to quiet down, so definitely, I train myself to think positively, always talking to myself and that is how I overcome these challenges. So, keeping outside voices away is really important … but also learning how to keep the good voices in.”
“I always try to strive for better,” he added, “always continue to improve myself.”
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