Jack Rico (Student) is a 13-year-old boy from La Mirada, California. In late May 2020, Rico received media attention after graduating from Fullerton College in California with four Associate degrees, making him the youngest student to do so in the college's history. ^{[1] [2] [5]}

He earned four associate degrees in history, human expression, social behavior, and social science. He also graduated with a record 4.0 GPA. ^[2]

Rico told local media that he credits his achievement to proper time management and listening to his instructors. He also said he has always craved to know more about different things in the world. ^[1]

Greg Schulz, the college’s president, stated that Rico’s intelligence makes him stand out among the school’s 21,000 students.

Greg said, “It is not typical to have such a young student take classes, so Jack is pretty well known on the Fullerton College campus, Jack is wise beyond his years, and I’m so pleased that he found a home and place to excel at Fullerton College.”

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Rico’s mother, Ru Andrade, said she knew her son was special ever since he was a young boy.

When Rico was about to turn four, she asked him what he wanted for his birthday.

While other boys his age might have asked for toys or a trip to Disneyland, Rico said he wanted to see the White House. She said she could recall telling him, “I told him that was a really big trip for a three-year-old,”. “Just kidding around, I said, ‘If you can memorize all the presidents, I’ll take you.'”

A week later, Rico came up to his mom and surprised her with his response.

“He said, ‘I already knew the presidents, but I memorized all the Vice presidents so that we could go,'” Andrade recalled. “So that’s when I knew, ‘Oh, you’re already smarter than me.'”

Jack enrolled at Fullerton College when he was only 11 years old.

Initially, he was homeschooled until he was in the third grade since he struggled to be in public school. This gave Andrade, his mother an opportunity to focus on his weaknesses. When he turned 11 years, Andreda knew that her son needed a better teacher than herself and more of a challenge. She took the first step and made sure that Jack was enrolled in Fullerton College’s Bridge program that allowed K-12 students who pass placement exams to attend.

He started off taking one class and developed an interest.

As time went by, Jack kept on asking to take more and more classes.

Jack graduated on May 23, 2020, with four associate’s degrees in History, Expression, Social Behavior, and Social Science.

He was the first youngest student in the 107 years of history at Fullerton College to graduate.

He attained his four degrees in a period of two years while maintaining a 4.0 GPA.

Jack will be attending the University of Nevada, Reno on a full scholarship in the fall of 2020.

Having been home schooled before attending Fullerton, Rico's first official graduation was his college one.

But as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, his in-person graduation ceremony was canceled.

"I was a little sad and disappointed because I never had a graduation," Rico said.

So instead, his family and friends helped him celebrate by holding a drive-by graduation parade.

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