At the age of two, E’leese Shelton was already teaching herself on a LeapFrog tablet, an educational entertainment and electronics platform that provides educational content for children from infancy through grade school. She learned the alphabet, uppercase and lowercase letters all on her own. Shelton continued to accelerate learning, reading at three and solving math problems just one year later.
Now at just 12 years old, she has graduated high school and is on her way to college.
“I got her a LeapFrog tablet, and we didn’t know that she was self-taught until it was telling her to do the letters, uppercase, lowercase letters, and we didn’t realize that she knew all of it. I did not teach her any of it. She just had the LeapFrog and she knew it,” Shelton’s mother said about how she discovered her daughter’s exceptional abilities.
Academic excellence runs in the family. Shelton’s brother, E’ven graduated high school at just 16 years old and she decided to follow in his footsteps. She promised she would outdo him and stuck to her word. This friendly sibling rivalry motivated Shelton to exceed expectations and showcase her academic prowess.
“The best thing that you could hope for somebody that you love is for them to do something better than you. That’s just what we hope for the next generation,” Shelton’s brother praised her remarkable feat.
Shelton plans to attend college at Tallahassee Community College and later transfer to Florida State University. Her long-term goal is to become a pediatrician and she hopes to attend medical school by 16 or 17. Her academic success highlights the limitless potential within every young mind when nurtured and supported.
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“It’s just kind of surreal. I believe it’s mostly because of my support system, like my friends, my mom, my church community. I feel excited to go on and embrace that journey,” Shelton said about her exceptional educational trajectory.
Shelton’s story is an inspiration to all phenomenal people who intend to move through systems at their own pace.