Caleb Anderson’s achievement of enrolling in college at just 11 years old has not only drawn the attention of national and international media outlets, but has also caught the eye of celebrities — and one wants to make sure the student can afford to continue his college career.
Caleb’s story of studying at Chattahoochee Technical College in Marietta, with plans to continue his education at Georgia Tech, has reached comedian, radio show and game show host Steve Harvey, who has offered to pay for the rest of Caleb’s college education.
The Marietta family revealed the news last week on its Facebook page. The Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation Scholarship will be sent directly to Caleb’s school and will cover tuition, fees and books.
“We were excited," said Kobi Anderson, Caleb’s father. "We were surprised. Caleb was blown away and just extremely grateful.”
Anderson said the scholarship will support Caleb’s education through his undergraduate studies at Georgia Tech.
Caleb, now 12, enrolled at Chattahoochee Technical College in fall 2019 where he has been taking aerospace engineering classes. His story began circulating around metro Atlanta when The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and 11Alive News ran separate stories about his intellect.
The family’s story has gone viral, with media outlets around the U.S. and world publishing news articles about Caleb. The Andersons have been featured on CBS Morning News, Daily Mail, CBS Atlanta, Miami-based TV station WSVN, Southern Living and the Today show, just to name a few.
Caleb said he’s used to the extra attention because he almost always the youngest person in his classes.
“Whenever I tell people how old I am and what grade I’m in, I end up being the focus of a lot of attention and being the focus of a lot of attention does not bother me too much,” he said. “However, I can get nervous sometimes.”
Kobi Anderson, who has a career in sales, said the attention has been a lot to manage, but every type of feedback the family has received has been encouraging. He said he was a little concerned that Caleb, who is Black, could receive from negative feedback due to the racial tensions in the U.S.
“We’ve seen none of that,” Anderson said. “We’ve seen nothing but love, acceptance and encouragement.”
Caleb and his family recently had a chance to visit Georgia Tech where he met with the college president, provost and leaders of the school’s aerospace engineering program. The 12-year-old said the visit left him feeling inspired. To transfer as a sophomore, he said he would need to complete a few more courses and hopes to enroll by fall 2021.
“My visit has solidified my decision," he said. “I am very sure that I will go there for my undergrad and may continue on there for my master’s."
Anderson said Caleb has been asked by Harvey and others to speak about his experiences to young children. Some of those children ask how Caleb approaches any challenges or setbacks. Anderson said his son tells his peers that he sees challenges as obstacles on the path towards his goal.
“That was really helpful and moving for me because even throughout this process, I’m getting to know my son in ways that I’ve never known him because people are asking him questions that I may not have thought to ask," he said. "We are cherishing these moments.”
