PULASKI COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — 11-year-old Samson Mead lives in Science Hill, which is fitting because he's taken his interest in nature and the sciences to the next level.
"I started out with science by studying physics actually. I wanted to know like how things work and stuff," said Samson.
After months of studying Samson passed the College Level Examination Program, also called CLEP, for natural sciences. Samson's parents David and Megan Mead wanted to raise their six children in a home-schooled environment.
"We really focus on more giving them time to be able to explore, all of the interests that they'd like to explore and homeschooling really allows for that time,” says Megan.
We reached out to Somerset Community College, where Samson took the exam. Leaders said CLEP testing can help students earn a college degree faster. Now, Samson has six college credits. Somerset also shared that it's rare for someone Samson's age to pass this exam.
Samson’s father David shared, "For him to want it, that just made it everything for me and for him to put the work in - because we try to teach that around here, hard work pays off, if you focus on the things you love they can come true, nothing is impossible if you believe in it. If another human being has done it, so can you.”
Samson says being homeschooled and growing up in a hands-on environment, is what initially got him interested in nature and sciences.
"It's just fun to retain all that knowledge and it's not hurting you it's actually making you a better person because you know a lot of stuff in the world."
Samson says he'd want to become a veterinarian, paleontologist, and filmmaker. His parents expect him to complete high school-level courses in the next few years.
Samson wants to set an example for his younger siblings and all the young people hearing his story. He has this message to share, "I would say, just hard work pays off."
Samson says he values his education and that learning never stops. He plans to take another CLEP exam in the next few months for biology.
