At just 11, Adhara Perez Sanchez is earning a master’s degree in mathematics so she can follow her dream of becoming a NASA astronaut.
The brilliant girl, born and raised inTlahau, Mexico City, has an IQ higher than Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein, and she’s currently a student at the Technological University of Mexico. Adhara is excitedly working towards her goal of helping to colonize Mars in the future. But her journey has not been easy.
Adhara was diagnosed with autism when she was three, which made students bully her and teachers ignore her. The situation was so bad that she had to change schools three times.
“The teachers were not very empathetic,” her mother, Nayeli, told Marie Claire Mexico, per IBT. “They told me that I wish she would finish an assignment. She began to exclude herself, she did not want to play with her classmates. She felt strange, different.”
Nayeli said that Adhara eventually developed depression, and she completely shut herself off from her classmates.
“She didn’t want to do things anymore. She was very depressed, people did not have empathy, they made fun of her,” she continued.
A Therapist Helped Discover That Adhara Perez Sanchez Was a Genius
Adhara Perez Sanchez began seeing a therapist to cope with her emotions, and they suggested that her parents test her IQ. When they did, she scored 162. Einstein and Hawking both had an IQ of 160.
Despite the bullying and depression, Adhara graduated grade school at 5—then she went on to complete middle and high school in only one year. Adhara moved forward and earned a bachelor’s degree from CNCI University.
Adhara Perez Sanchez became fascinated with space travel and rocket science after noticing artwork that showcased Hawking’s work during a therapy session. To give her a better chance with NASA, she has already completed a course in systems engineering.
“‘I want to go to space and colonize Mars,” she told the publication. “If you don’t like where you are, imagine where you want to be. I see myself at NASA, so it’s worth a try.”
Once she graduates from her current program, Adhara hopes to enroll in the University of Arizona’s astrophysics program. The school has offered her a scholarship, but she had to defer it due to visa issues.
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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