Crafton Hills College in Yucaipa, CA is celebrating a 10-year-old student who will be graduating with not one but two degrees this May. Alisa Perales will just have turned 11 when she accepts the diplomas for her associates degrees in multiple sciences and another in mathematics. She will also be graduating with a near-perfect 4.0 GPA. “Unlock Your Potential at Any Age,” California Community Colleges announced on Facebook, featuring an image of Perales.

Naturally a 10-year-old graduating from college has an exceptional learning history. Perales learned to read at 2 and began doing algebra at age 5. She was 8 when she began taking classes at college. For Perales, however, all this learning isn’t just work. “It’s very fun to me,” she told a local station. “It’s almost as fun as playing outside or riding a bike or doing whatever. I just enjoy learning. There’s so many interesting things out there.” Perales was homeschooled and admitted to being nervous about attending college. “When I first started at Crafton, I was a little bit nervous…because this was my first time going to a public school but then I met some really nice people, and that was super helpful,” she said. She credited her father, Rafael, for taking charge of her education. “She has been a little different her whole life, but I have always taught her that there’s nothing out there that you’re not capable of understanding,” said her father.

Rafael’s support continued once Parales attended the community college, with Rafael even waiting for Alisa outside of her classes when she first began attending the college. “Before she started at Crafton, I explained that she was going to be around many older kids, and she didn’t seem intimidated by that,” said Rafael. “She seemed to fit right in. So, I just followed my daughter’s lead. I did not make her adhere to a rigorous schedule I had set out for her. I responded to what she was interested in and helped feed that interest and fueled that fire, and her interest in school remained strong.” During her time at school, Alisa took her knowledge and filed a lawsuit to argue that she should have the right to vote due to her educational pursuits. Although she lost the battle, it was a time to put her learning in action.

Alisa has applied to Stanford. She hopes to work in the artificial intelligence industry after graduating. She described what it takes to achieve such a major milestone. “Crafton wants everyone to succeed, but you have to work hard to get what you want,” she said. “Do not ever have any doubts over what you want to do in life. Just go out there and give it a shot.”