Fifteen-year-old heads to UBC

By Leah Bjornson,
Special to The Post

Instead of returning to high school this fall, Rex Chen has plans most other teenagers don’t have to worry about yet. This September, Chen will begin studying at UBC, just on the eve of his fifteenth birthday.
Chen is a recent graduate of the local advanced education program University Transition, which is housed in a small, three-story building just off of West Mall on the UBC campus. The program allows 20 academically-gifted students per year between the ages of 13 and 15 to complete high school in only two years.
Like Chen, the average Transition graduate begins university at the age of fifteen.
When asked how he felt about beginning university this fall, Chen replied, “It's a tad bit terrifying, but terrifying in a positive way, if that's possible.”
Initiated in 1993, University Transition focuses on core subjects such as Math, English, Biology, Chemistry, and History, among others. Elective courses such as physical education or music are left out of the curriculum, as administrators say there are simply not enough resources to support them. However, students are encouraged to pursue these passions outside of school hours.
In order to ensure that these students are prepared for the turbulent world of university, they also work with their instructors to prepare for the social and emotional challenges of entering higher education at a young age.
While the program is intensive, Chen and his classmates describe University Transition as a place where they can genuinely be themselves. “It's been my life for these past two years, the people around me have been my first true friends, and without this program I probably wouldn't be the person I am today.”
Despite still being only fourteen years old, Chen isn’t waiting until the fall to begin his career at UBC. Several weeks ago, the particle physics lab, TRIUMF, located on UBC campus, contacted Chen to offer him one of their High School Fellowships. For the rest of the summer, Chen will be interning at TRIUMF.
He has also been published in the Harvard Journal of Emerging Investigators for his article titled, Towards an Integrated Solution for Renewable Water and Energy.