Amazing: This 10-year-old has started taking college courses towards a math degree
By Krystle Crossman
When most of us were in fourth or fifth grade we dreaded stepping into math class. The numbers, the equations, having to show your work is just too much for some. Then there is Wellsal, UK native Esther Okade. She is just 10-years-old and has recently started under-graduate math courses with Open University. She is on a quest to get her PhD and someday soon she would like to own her own bank.
Esther’s college dreams began when she was just seven years old. She knew that it was where she wanted to be and wanted to be there as soon as possible.
Her mother, Omonefe, said that starting to talk to Open University was interesting because of how old her daughter was. Ten is not an age that you see often in college courses but she was determined to make her home-schooled daughter’s dreams come true.
They went through a lengthy application process. There were tests that had to be taken. They met with the Vice Chancellor of the school who ended up being extremely im-pressed with Esther and her drive for a math degree. She was accepted into the courses.
Omonefe, who is a mathematician herself, was afraid that the courses were going to be too challenging for Esther but that seems that this is not the case at all. During an interview Esther said that it was very easy for her. She loves the numbers and solving the equations and said it was all like a big mystery that you had to solve. She also said that she hopes that by age 15 or 16 she will have her own bank. She would like to be a millionaire as well. With her drive and determination it doesn’t seem like that will be such a far off dream at all!
While she is getting her college degree at ten Esther still enjoys the things that other kids her age love. She watches movies, she plays outdoors, and she loves to play with toys. Not only is Esther a math whiz, but her younger brother is already doing advanced algebra and calculus.
