AFRICA | An exceptional 13-year-old boy named Melchizedek Adio Baafawiise has made history by gaining admission to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana, after excelling in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Adio holds an impressive record of academic achievements. He scored five A1s, including in Physics and Mathematics, and one B, making him one of the youngest undergraduates at KNUST for the 2024 academic session.
His passion for learning and natural curiosity led him to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Physics, with aspirations of delving deeper into Mechanics—his favorite area of study.
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“I love the calculations and the mechanics. When you perform experiments, you get to feel them. Even though with electricity, you perform experiments, you don’t see the electrons moving,” he said.
Born into a family of educators, with a father who teaches Economics and a mother who teaches at the primary school level, Adio’s intellectual journey began early. He initially dreamed of becoming a pilot, but as he grew older, he realized the limitations of that career path.
Instead, he chose to study Physics, a decision that allowed him to explore a broad range of scientific fields before narrowing his focus. “If I study Physics, I’ll get to discover my true interest. By my third or fourth year, I’ll decide whether to specialize in Mechanical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering,” he said.
Adio’s academic brilliance enabled him to skip multiple grade levels throughout his education. He attended St. Cyprian’s Minor Seminary Senior High School, where he bypassed Forms 2 and 3 due to his advanced abilities.
Rather than taking the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), he sat for an entrance exam to gain admission into senior high school.
“I started school at two years old, so by seven, I was in primary four. I skipped primary five and went straight to primary six. At Starplex Academy, I also skipped JHS 2 and JHS 3, so I did JHS 1 and then took an entrance exam to enroll at St. Cyprian’s Minor Seminary,” he recounted.
Despite being much younger than his classmates, Adio has adjusted well to university life. While initially feeling intimidated in senior high school due to his age, he quickly adapted, and the transition to university has been even smoother.
“It doesn’t seem like much of a difference. It’s just normal,” he said. “When I first got to SHS, I felt a bit intimidated, but over time, I got used to it. Now, being here at KNUST with older students doesn’t feel any different,” he added.
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