This 12-year-old is the youngest person ever to study at Cornell

Before he was 2 years old, Jeremy Shuler could read English and Korean. When he was 5, he read "Lord of the Rings." So it's no surprise that, at 12, he's already enrolled as an engineering undergraduate at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

The school says that he's the youngest student that's ever enrolled, the Associated Press reports.

Originally from Grand Prairie, Texas, Shuler is the child of two aerospace engineers; his mother put her career on hold to home school the budding prodigy. At first, the couple was worried about their son's ability to socialize with other kids - but when they brought him to a math camp and a group called Math Circle, he clicked with new friends right away.

"He needed someone with similar interests," his mother told the AP.

Shuler said that he plans to pursue a career in academia, but for now, he enjoys reading science fiction and playing Mine Craft.

Now, Shuler has started classes and is adjusting to college life.

"The classes are kind of easy so far, but I know they'll be harder pretty soon," he told the AP.

Outside of class, he's focused on making new friends - but he's not too concerned that most of his classmates are several years older.

"I was nervous at first, but I'm a lot more excited than nervous now," he told the Guardian. "As Mommy said, all the kids in math camp were older than me, so I'm used to having older friends. As long as they like math."

You can read more about Shuler here.

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