By Ariyana Griffin
AFRO Staff Writer
agriffin@afro.com
While most 14-year-olds prepare to start eighth or ninth grade, Baltimore native West Muhammad made history when he walked onto the Coppin State University campus this semester as a first-year cybersecurity engineering student.
Muhammad is the youngest student ever admitted to the West Baltimore-based historically Black university’s (HBCU), adding to its already rich legacy.
Before embarking on his college admission journey, Muhammad shared that he was homeschooled during the pandemic after attending traditional schools in Baltimore.
Homeschooling and acceleration programs allowed him to graduate from high school at 14 years old.
While some young people or even their parents might be worried about taking the next step to attend college, Muhammad confidently shared that he was well-prepared for college life, thanks to his mom’s unwavering support.
“My mom has always wanted me to be outgoing and develop social skills. Even when we weren’t doing physical school during the pandemic, we would still be doing meetings with my friends, or sometimes we’d go to the library,” he said.
His mother’s dedication to his social skills development and academic achievement, even during the challenges of the pandemic, empowered him to continue.
“I remember when I was younger, I would be nervous. I must have been around 5 or 6 years old. I wasn’t as outspoken as I am now,” he said. “But, her pushing me to develop those social skills and a few programs that I’ve been a part of really made her feel confident that I would make my way through the campus.”
His mother also attended Coppin State University, graduating in 2009 while pregnant with West. He knew that her alma mater was the perfect school for him after hearing about his mom’s experiences on campus.
“Coppin State University is a school that I’ve heard about since being a child because my mom went here and she graduated from Coppin State University while she was pregnant with me. So it’s almost like I’ve been here before I was even here,” he said.
During the application process, his mom spoke with representatives at Coppin to inform them of West and his unique enrollment status. After the positive reception from the campus representatives, mom and son both were even more confident that Coppin was the right choice.
His decision to major in cybersecurity engineering blossomed from his love for technology, which was evident when his grandmother gave him a tablet when he was 3 years old.
“Since then, it’s been like what’s next that we can do with technology,” he said. “I’ve also learned a bit about viruses–thankfully, I’ve never had one. But just the fact that someone can almost take over your computer intrigues me.”
Being the youngest student does not stop him from being involved on campus and with his peers. He shared that he commutes to Coppin because he is too young to stay in on-campus dorms. However, in between classes, he enjoys exploring the campus and spending time in the library to stay on top of his assignments.
“Navigating the campus is very interesting to me,” Muhummad said. “It’s just great to see what’s out there and see the different people that we have. And, of course, a lot of people have come to recognize me now, so it’s great to say hi and build some relationships along the way.”
HBCU culture is a unique experience for students across the country. West explained that he feels he can thrive in the atmosphere because he is surrounded by Black excellence.
“It’s nice seeing so many like-minded individuals that are the same color as me. We have a lot of Black students and Black youth that have the same desire to learn that I also have,” he said. “Even though you may not know them, there’s a connection because we’re all part of the same history and culture.”
He shared that he is excited to experience his first HBCU homecoming at Coppin, which will take place during the week of Feb. 16-23.
Muhammad stressed the importance of uplifting young people doing great work because it might inspire someone else. He advises that people support those they see doing good in their community.
“Make sure you tune in to wherever you see greatness out there today because we see a lot of negativity,” he said. “Whenever you do see people trying to do right, try to tune in. Maybe show them some love or even take what they’ve done and try to apply it to yourself because you never know what you can learn from someone else’s story.”
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