Meet the teenager who is now the world's youngest male professor

New Delhi: While most teenagers are preparing for college, 18-year-old Nathan Thomas was already standing in front of a classroom teaching engineering students. The Florida native has now entered the Guinness World Records as the world's youngest male professor, breaking a record that had stood for more than three centuries.

Thomas achieved the feat after joining Miami Dade College as an engineering instructor at the age of 18 years and 346 days. In doing so, he surpassed Scottish mathematician Colin Maclaurin, who became a professor at 19 in 1717, ending a 306-year-old record.

What makes Thomas's achievement even more remarkable is that many of the students he teaches are nearly the same age as he is. Yet, he believes age has little role in education.

According to Guinness World Records, Thomas says everyone enters the classroom with the same purpose- to learn- and that curiosity and dedication matter far more than age.

A college student at 10

Thomas's academic journey began much earlier than usual. At just 10 years old, he enrolled at Miami Dade College through a dual-enrolment programme while continuing his school education.

By the age of 14, he had transferred to Florida International University, where he completed both his bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering with honours.

Years later, he returned to Miami Dade College- not as a student, but as a faculty member.

Since August 2023, Thomas has been teaching COP 2270: C for Engineers, a course that introduces engineering students to C programming and computational problem-solving.

Inspired by family, driven by curiosity

Growing up in a family of engineers, Thomas developed an early interest in mathematics and science. He has credited his mother for making mathematics enjoyable and helping him build a strong academic foundation from childhood.

That passion eventually translated into an extraordinary academic career that saw him move rapidly through higher education before returning to teach at the institution where his journey began.

Thomas's ambitions extend beyond engineering. Alongside teaching, he is pursuing a Juris Doctor degree at the University of Miami School of Law and is expected to graduate in 2028.

He hopes to specialise in intellectual property law, combining his engineering expertise with legal knowledge to help protect technological innovation. According to Thomas, the analytical thinking developed through engineering has also proved valuable in his legal studies.

A milestone beyond age

Thomas's achievement is not just about becoming the world's youngest male professor. From entering college at the age of 10 to breaking a 306-year-old Guinness World Record before turning 19, his journey reflects years of discipline, academic excellence and a passion for learning.