9-year-old prodigy from Pennsylvania studying neuroscience at Ursinus College

COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. — At just 9 years old, Aiden Wilkins is already a high school sophomore and taking a neuroscience class at Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania.

The young boy’s remarkable academic journey began when he was just 2 years old and could read outdoor signs before anyone had taught him how.

“I could just read them when most kids at my age, at like two, could barely even speak,” Aiden said. “Yeah, I just grasped it so fast.”

A gifted test taken a few years later confirmed what his family already suspected.

“Then, a few years later, I took a gifted test. Turns out I was gifted,” he said.

Now, enrolled at Reach Cyber Charter High School, Aiden is also studying neuroscience at Ursinus – a step toward his long-term goal of becoming a pediatric neurosurgeon.

“He plans to go to medical school and eventually become a pediatric neurosurgeon,” said his mother, Veronica Wilkins.

“Mainly because I always like helping people around my age, and I was always fascinated by the anatomy of the brain,” Aiden added.

Despite his academic achievements, Veronica says Aiden is still very much a typical 9-year-old who enjoys video games and playing soccer. But raising a gifted child, she says, is a unique experience.

“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 said. “It’s all about him and his journey and me just supporting his journey.”

Aiden also has advice for others who may not be considered gifted.

“You can do anything,” he said. “You really just have to put the work into it.”

As for college, Aiden is still deciding where to study before medical school. His top choices so far are Johns Hopkins and Princeton.

His chances of getting in? Exceptional – just like him.