VALLEY STREAM, NY (NET TV) – An 11-year-old boy will be among the freshmen attending Louisiana State University this fall.
Joe Petraro, a child prodigy with a genius-level IQ, is enjoying the summer while he can.
On the surface, he seems like a normal eleven-year-old who is interested in basketball and video games.
But unlike other kids his age, he isn’t preparing for middle school; he’s going to college in the fall.
Joe graduated from high school early.
“Exams, tests, it was easy,” said Joe.
It all started a few years ago.
Joe attended Holy Name of Mary School in Valley Stream, New York.
He had a difficult time and was almost sent to special education until he was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome.
The neurological disorder can cause uncontrolled rapid movements and vocal noises.
“I think about something and then I think, ‘OK, I’ll do that. All right, all right.’ And that takes a while because then I tense my hands, just like my arms,” Joe described.
The school soon realized that Joe was actually a genius with an IQ of 168.
He would graduate from middle school and high school in two years.
“I can’t believe it. I’m proud of him. I just can’t believe it. I’m still dreaming,” said Ozzie Petraro, Joe’s father.
While Joe thrived in school, life outside the classroom was not so easy. Because of his Tourette syndrome, he became a target of bullies.
But the altar boy at St. Joseph Church in Hewlett says his time at Mass helped him through dark times.
“It would just calm me down and take my mind off everything,” Joe said.
The soon-to-be college freshman knows that studying isn’t the only thing that brought him to Louisiana State University.
“I think the driving force is God, because without Him I wouldn’t know that I’m smarter and I wouldn’t meet all these good people,” Joe added.
Joe plans to study sports management while taking distance learning classes, with dreams of becoming a sports reporter.
Copyright 2024 NET TV via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
