At 14-years-old, Julia Nepper had earned her associate's degree from Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, North Carolina, by the age of 16, she had graduated with her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Last month, Nepper collected her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. When asked about her astounding accomplishments, the 23-year-old is deferential, mostly crediting her parents for their support. “Most of the people I’ve met, in my life, could have done what I did if they had the right support,” she said in an interview with WECT. “I don’t fault my parents, pushing me, with regards to my education. Clearly, I could handle it and it worked. So they must have done something right.”

Julia's mother, Nadine Nepper remembers a time early-on when administrators questioned her daughter's aptitude. "It's hard to believe she was kept back in kindergarten that one year," she recalls. “It was suggested if we wanted her to excel, we’d have to pull her out and homeschool her.” And, that's exactly what Nadine and her ex-husband did. “We didn’t think she was being challenged enough,” she said. Four years of homeschooling provided the foundation that would catapult Julia to extreme academic excellence. "I'm so proud of her," Nadine said. "All that hard work has paid off."

After being in school for the entirety of her life, Julia is looking forward to the next phase of her life. “I’ve been in college most of my life and I haven’t really been in the real world,” she said. She is flirting with the idea of finding a job abroad, perhaps in Japan. “It’s exciting but actually scary to go out and get a job.” Whichever path she pursues, there is no doubt that she will be successful.

We see you, sis! Respect the hustle, but if anyone deserves a gap year it's you.

Julia Nepper

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