HOUSTON — You could say 20-year-old Ethan Szumanski has always been ahead of his time.
“I was around 12 or 13 when I started doing college. And it was at that moment where I actually started passing and really doing well academically," Szumanski said.
At an age where most of us were undergrads, Ethan already has "a Juris Doctorate degree."
That's right, Szumanski has a law degree.
“If you’re willing and you put your mind to it, you can pretty much do anything,” he said.
His mom Mindi – who gave up her career to home school Ethan and his two older brothers – said at 19, her son is the youngest person to graduate in the history of South Texas College of Law.
“He’s an amazing human being – not just academically – but spiritually, emotionally. Just has a kind, pure heart," Mindi said.
And he didn’t just graduate, Szumanski was Summa Cum Laude and just passed the bar exam.
“He was blessed with two parents who don’t know anything but work and so that’s been his blessing," his father Tim said.
His father Tim is the Pastor at The Pentecostals of The Woodlands – which he and his family built.
“I remember many, many nights at 16 years old him sleeping maybe an hour or two and going right back to school and him doing that over and over and over," Tim said about Ethan.
And somehow, in between all of the studying, accolades and a paper to be published, Ethan has found time to preach and bring his community together in faith.
“I realized that there’s a lot of people who need help ... who need an advocate ... someone to represent them effectively and well ... and I wanted to be that person," Ethan said.
On Mother’s Day, there's no better gift than a son who is dedicated to being the best version of himself.
“He’s just made us proud in so many realms," Mindi said.
Tim said much of their sons' success they owe to Mindi.
“She just put so much of herself – so much of herself to get to that point – to see these boys grow," Tim said.
Some people ask about Ethan’s accomplishments at such a young age.
“Some people were, like, 'I didn’t even know this was legal,'" Ethan said.
He can tell them it most certainly is.
“If you just work hard and do your part and continue to invest in that, you’ll see the benefits of it,” Ethan said.
Some of Ethan's accomplishments:
- Internships for two prominent federal judges
- Langdell Scholar
- Competed in the law school’s advocacy program and won best brief twice and was a regional finalist and a multi-time national semi-finalist
- Has a Federal judicial clerkship lined up for 2024
- He will take the final step to becoming a lawyer when he gets sworn in on May 13