Boy Wonder still wonderful

Two years after graduating as the youngest person ever to receive a master's degree from UVA, Greg Smith is still studying. But since 2006, the boy wonder who once made frequent appearances in local and national publications has been keeping a low profile. In fact, he's done a disappearing act.

"When he graduated from UVA, as a family we made the decision that he would step out of the public eye," says Smith's mother, Janet, noting that the family felt her son's transition to living on his own would be better without attention from the media.

So the now-19-year-old, six-foot-tall prodigy and four-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee left the spotlight after receiving his first master's in mathematics in May 2006 at age 17. He'll receive a second Master's in May 2009, his mother says, this one in biological science.

Although she declines to identify Smith's new school– saying only that it's "nine hours away"– her son is "doing exceptionally in his new program. Academics have always been a priority for him."

She can say that again. By the time Smith came to UVA at age 14 in 2003, as he is pictured here, he was well versed in the ways of secondary education: he'd spent the previous several years– from age 10 to age 13– working on his Bachelor's degree at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland.

This latest master's degree won't be his last, says his Keswick-based mom. He wants to earn two more master's degrees. He continues to work for International Youth Advocates, the peace organization he founded, but his ultimate goal hasn't changed: "He plans to enter politics," she says.

Smith will turn 35 in 2024. Hey– isn't that an election year?