Why This 9-Year-Old Black Boy Just Accomplished Something Most Adults Couldn’t Imagine

Aiden Wilkins’ mother knew he was gifted when he was only two years old. The then-toddler was already reading street signs, even though no one taught him how to do so. Compared to other kids his age, Wilkins was lightyears ahead. And it all came together when he finally was old enough to go to school, this was only confirmed…

“A few years later, I took a gifted test,” Wilkins told ABC 6. “Turns out I was gifted!” After passing the test with flying colors, Wilkins said his passion for learning hasn’t stopped. Now, the Pennsylvania native is nine years old, and is still ahead of his peers.

Despite his age, the young boy is enrolled at Reach Cyber Charter High School in Cumberland County, Pa., making him the youngest in his class, ABC 6 reported. But if that wasn’t enough, Wilkins is also studying neuroscience at Ursinus College. According to his mother, Veronica Wilkins, her son has big career dreams.

“He plans to go to medical school and eventually become a pediatric neurosurgeon,” Veronica said. The reason why? Well, Wilkins said it’s a mixture of two key things.

“Mainly because I always like helping people around my age, and I was always fascinated by the anatomy of the brain,” he said of his aspirations. As of now, the nine-year-old making big plans to go to either John Hopkins or Princeton University.

Wilkins is one of 3.3 million students in the country labeled as “gifted.” But, he is only one of a few hundred thousand Black gifted students. A Hechinger report found Black kids often get overlooked for their school’s gifted programs. “Black students, in contrast, made up 9 percent of students in gifted education, although they were 15 percent of the overall student population,” according to federal data.

That doesn’t mean Black kids aren’t as gifted as their peers. It means school systems just aren’t looking for them. According to EdWeek, three out of four gifted Black students are never identified.

Most nine year olds are in the fourth grade, still working on making their handwriting neater, according to WebMD. Wilkins had some advice for those kids who might not be considered “gifted” by the state. “You can do anything,” he said. “You really just have to put the work into it.”

Still, Wilkins’ mother said her son is just like any other nine year old boy. He likes video games and playing soccer. But for Veronica, she knows her experience as a mother is a unique one.

“You don’t really hear often about gifted kids. It’s a small percentage, but I am very grateful and thankful for the opportunity to be part of his journey,” she told ABC 6. “It’s all about him and his journey and me just supporting his journey.”