OGDEN – A 15-year-old Ogden teen is just two years away from attending medical school.
Jessica Brooke said she only has a few more semesters until she gets her degree.
"I've always enjoyed school,” Jessica said. “I've never hated going to school."
Jessica started college when she was 12 years old, and she already has two associate degrees. She’s the youngest student at Weber State University, and she came to campus with a 4.0 GPA.
“It was hard for me to go from having a whole year to learn a concept to like three to four months,” Jessica said.
She said it didn’t take long to adjust. She’s taking classes like chemistry and calculus, ones that make other college students cringe.
“A lot of students have a hard time and have to work really hard to be successful in this class,” said general chemistry professor Tim Herzog, who teaches Jessica in the subject. “It’s really fun to see somebody who is 15 years old and doing that great.”
She may be the youngest student on campus, and she has to be driven to school by her mom, but Jessica said she doesn’t feel singled out.
"They don't treat me any differently when they find out or anything, which I love,” Jessica said. “You know, I don't want to be babied, or think that I can't do anything.
She said math has always been easy for her, and her family has always been very supportive of her early college career.
"I've given her the opportunity to have this experience,” Jessica’s mother, Rachel Brooke, said. “But she has done the hard work."
Outside the classroom Jessica is still a typical teen. She hangs out with friends, fights with her siblings and looks forward to the day she can drive herself to class.
And while she’s still about a year away from applying to medical schools, she said she’s just enjoying her time in college.
