15-year-old graduates college with highest honors
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - Graduation season has made its way to the OKC metro, but one local teen isn't turning her tassel for her high school diploma.
At just 15-years-old, Shania Muhammad recently made history as the youngest graduate of Oklahoma's only HBCU, Langston University.
"I have my associates in consumer studies…I have my associates in diverse studies and [now] I have my bachelors in family and consumer sciences," said Shania in an interview with KFOR, sharing about her success with some help from her family.
"A lot of people meet this new version of me [but] little do they know, I'm the girl that still likes to go skate … loves hanging out with her dad …I love being out and enjoying nature," she said.
"There's a lot of stuff I still enjoy [but] college is just a part of me…just a part of who I am. My foundation is Shania," the teen added.
Graduation day was even more impactful as the family as Muhammad received her degree alongside two of her siblings, Elijah and Rashay, who also graduated from the college with honors.
"Being able to even walk the stage with my brother and sister [was] so amazing, was so surreal," she added.
In 2022, the teen's family said she went viral online as news spread that she'd earned two associate's degrees.
Since then, Shania has already completed several courses towards the completion of a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in marketing, and said she also plans to pursue a doctoral degree of some kind.
"It was stair steps…it was levels…it was not overnight for me at all," she added, saying her parents taught her the importance of being critical, creative and analytical.
"[If] you can do those things and listen as well then you can learn anything," she continued.
"Out of my 5 kids, none of them are alike... they all do different things and I never wanted them to feel the pressure of having to conform to a preset mold," said her father, Elijah Muhammad "[My wife and I] I wanted them to discover the greatness within them and focused on harvesting their intelligence."
"I wasn't always this person [and while] I've always been smart but I didn't [always] know how to tap into [success]," Shania continued. "[But] when you walk into our home and you wake up to [this environment] everyday it just reminds you of what you're really capable of [and] there's no doubt."