VIDEO: 13-Year-Old Long Island Student Set to Pursue Master’s Degree
HEWLETT, N.Y. — At 13 years old, Joe Petraro-Hyppolite is already preparing for his next academic milestone — a master’s degree at New York University.
When he is not serving as a junior firefighter with the Hewlett Fire Department, Joe is focused on his studies and future career. Next fall, he plans to begin a master’s program in global sport at NYU.
The academic achievement comes as Joe prepares to graduate from Louisiana State University in May with his bachelor’s degree.
For the Long Island Catholic student, completing college at such a young age has been a surreal experience.
“People would just think I’m some, like, I’m their age with a baby face,” Joe said. “And then we all stood up, and they saw that I was very small. And then, I mean, they were all nice about it.”
The Tablet first met Joe in 2024, when the young student was preparing to begin college at LSU.
His journey has not always been easy. His father, Oswald Hyppolite, said his son has faced bullying and skepticism along the way.
“He’s growing. He’s showing a lot of improvement. He came over through a lot of bullying. A lot of people doubting him,” Hyppolite said.
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Rather than allowing those doubts to discourage him, Joe said they motivated him to keep pushing forward.
“I feel like a lot of people doubted me, but that just helped me,” he said.
His Catholic faith has also remained an important part of his journey.
Each morning, Joe said he prays in front of a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary at his parish, St. Joseph’s Church.
“I usually just go pray, think about God and how much he helped me,” he said.
Joe hopes to combine his interests in sports management and kinesiology with his nonprofit work, while continuing to explore his passion for science.
Despite his extraordinary academic accomplishments, he credits God for helping him along the way.
“I think he helped me have everything that, like, everything happen for a reason,” Joe said.
And his academic journey may not end with a master’s degree. The teenager said he is open to pursuing additional degrees in the future.
For now, Joe is balancing an extraordinary academic path with his commitment to serving his community as a junior firefighter and remaining grounded in his Catholic faith.