VALLEY STREAM, N.Y. (NET TV) — An 11-year-old boy is among the freshmen entering Louisiana State University this fall.
Joe Petraro, a genius-level IQ kid genius, is enjoying his summer while he can.
On the surface, he appears to be a normal 11-year-old boy interested in basketball and video games.
But unlike other kids his age, he's not preparing to move on to middle school and will be heading off to college this fall.
Joe Petraro isn't like other kids his age: Instead of preparing for middle school, he's heading off to college this fall.
Joe graduated from high school early.
“The exam, the test, was easy,” Joe said.
It all started a few years ago.
Joe attended Holy Name of Mary School in Valley Stream, New York.
He struggled to get special education before he was diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome.
This nerve disorder can result in rapid, uncontrollable movements and vocalizations.
“When you're thinking about something, you're like, 'OK, let's do it. OK, OK, OK,' and then your hands get tense as well as your arms, so it takes longer,” Joe explained.
The school soon discovered that Joe was in fact a genius with an IQ of 168.
It took him two years to complete middle school and high school.
“It's unbelievable. I'm so proud of him. I just can't believe it. It still feels like I'm dreaming,” said Joe's father, Ozzie Petraro.
School was easy for Joe, but life outside the classroom was not: he had Tourette's syndrome, which made him a target for bullies.
But the altar server at St. Joseph Church in Hewlett said attending Mass helped him through a dark time.
“It calms me down and always takes my mind off everything,” Joe said.
The soon-to-be college freshman knows that academics aren't the only reason he was accepted to Louisiana State University.
“I think it's God that guides me because without him I wouldn't have become smarter or met such good people,” Joe added.
Joe dreams of becoming a broadcaster and will be studying sports leadership while attending classes entirely remotely.
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