SMU senior to graduate at 18 years old

When most people learn the age of senior Sawyer David Stone, they are shocked and confused.

At 15 years old, most kids are learning how to drive a car, keep up with their first year of high school work, and get up the nerve to ask their crush to a school dance. However, this was not the case for Stone.

Graduating high school three years early, Stone walked onto the SMU campus as a freshman. Although much younger than the rest of his peers and lacking in life experience, Stone did not allow that to hold him back from experiencing everything college had to offer.

Born and raised in Hot Springs, Ark., Stone was 11 years old when he entered his freshman year of high school. Having spent his entire academic career attending small private schools, Stone stood out at a young age. Two weeks into kindergarten “teachers noticed I was really bored and it was causing me to do terrible in school,” said Stone. Leading faculty, teachers and his parents to make the decision to allow Stone finish out the year in the first grade. Stone placed out of his second and fourth grade years as well.

It wasn’t until fifth grade that Sawyer stayed with the same class of students until graduating high school. Stone said his 4-year age difference didn’t affect social situations too much, “Seventh grade was really the only time I ever felt awkward. But I think that’s just an awkward and uncomfortable time for everyone, it wasn’t because of my age school.”

But he says age had nothing to do with his freshman jitters, it was merely “typical adjustment