He was teaching college kids before he could even drink.
Florida prodigy Nathan Thomas has now officially broken a 306-year-old record on his way to becoming the world’s youngest professor.
Thomas — who has a passion for the fields of science, technology, engineering and math — became a Guinness World Record holder after taking on an engineering teaching gig at Miami Dade College at age 18 and 346 days in August 2023, the renowned organization announced July 23.
The job made him the world’s youngest male professor, ending Colin Maclaurin’s 306-year grip on the record, Guinness said. Maclaurin had become a mathematics professor at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, at age 19 in 1717.
Thomas, now 21, also beat history’s youngest female professor — Alia Sabur, who was born in New York on Feb. 22 1989 – by 16 days to become the world’s overall youngest professor ever, too.
Sabur became the world’s youngest professor in February 2008 when she assumed a role at South Korea’s Konkuk University at age 18 and 362 days.
Thomas — who roots for the NBA’s Boston Celtics and NFL’s New England Patriots when not working — said he’s not fazed by the thought of guiding some students older than he is through college courses.
“Once you’re in that setting, everyone’s there for the same reason, which is to learn,” he told Guinness.
“Age doesn’t really factor into that.
“I just focus on trying to do my job well and helping students in whatever way I can. If someone’s willing to put in the effort, that’s really all that matters to me.”
Thomas’ ability to learn was apparent at a very young age: The baby braniac landed a perfect score on his kindergarten readiness test in 2010, according to Miami Dade College’s student newspaper The Reporter.
He used to read books on the steps of Thomas Jefferson’s home in Charlottesville, Va., according to his mom Rani.
He was then Miami Dade College’s youngest student ever graduate, netting an associate degree in math at age 14.
But when he started his college studies, his professor thought it was his mom who had enrolled, he said.
“[On my] first day of class for college algebra …my mom got me outside the class, and [my professor] thought that my mom was a student,” Thomas said.
“[The teacher] was like, ‘You can bring your son in as long as he’s quiet.’ My mom had to explain to her, ‘No, no, he’s a student.’ “
Thomas, whose parents are engineers, assumed his college teaching gig in August 2023 – just months after he graduated with electrical engineering bachelors and masters degrees at Florida International University.
“I always thought about coming back and teaching one day,” he told The Reporter.
“But when I said one day, I thought I meant when I was older. Like a lot older.”
He revealed he takes great pleasure in students being able to understand concepts that were previously difficult.
“The part about teaching that I like most is watching something click for a student,” he said.
“You can kind of see it happen in real time, when a concept that felt impossible a few minutes ago suddenly makes sense.”
Thomas is teaching online courses while he juggles his studies at the University of Miami Law School. He’s set to graduate in 2028.
“Engineering taught me how to break down complex problems in a structured way, and that’s carried over into how I approach law school now,” he said.
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