Master of Public Policy student Kai Filipczak flexed his typing fingers, perfected his study playlist and settled into the matrix of academia that constitutes graduate life at the Downtown campus, only months after he celebrated his 18th birthday.
“Every kid hates to hear from their parents, ‘Son, you’re not applying yourself,’” Filipczak said. “But I think often it’s true. So I decided to actually see what I could do in school.”
In eighth grade, Filipczak finished his home schooling curriculum and started taking classes at a local community college. At 18, five years later, he graduated from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County with two bachelor’s degrees. Filipczak enrolled in ASU’s Master of Public Policy program this fall.
“ASU’s MPP program has been … a wonderful experience,” Filipczak said. “Everything is very convenient–I have plenty of free time to pursue things outside of school. The professors are great, and my classmates and colleagues have all been wonderful people to work with. So I look forward to more of the same in the coming two years.”
Filipczak said he hopes to eventually find work as a policy analyst, with intentions to spearhead an educational reform movement.
“I want to go out to save the world someday, hopefully by fixing our broken and decidedly dysfunctional … education system,” he said.
Filipczak’s father, Michael Filipczak, encouraged that goal.
“Educational advocacy … would be terrific given the variety of educational experiences he’s had,” said Michael Filipczak, adding that his son is particularly apt in social adaptation and can fit in with most age groups.
Louis Dettorre, Filipczak’s classmate and fellow MPP student, was surprised and impressed after he learned Filipczak’s age.
“When I first met him I made the assumption that he was my age, and a week and half went by until I realized he’s only 18,” Dettorre said.
According to his mother, Laurianne Brickner, this is not an uncommon occurrence.
“He’s really tall so it always kind of made him look older,” Brickner said. “He was on campus and was 12 but looked more like 15–like a young high school student rather than a 12-year-old.”
She also added that while he was always academically talented, “he’s not one of those kids that can’t wait to learn calculus and geeks out on all these subjects on his own.”
Filipczak adopted a heavy course load by enrolling in the MPP program, Dettorre said.
“We’re going in and being asked to take on government issues, like the economy,” he said. “So we’re learning the problems that are happening in society and the government. I think of myself as challenged at 22 years old, and I look at him at–an 18-year-old–and he has no fear in his eyes.”
In 2005, Filipczak enrolled in classes at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, an honors college specializing in engineering and science. He was 13 at the time.
“There’s always someone who is more and better than you at what you’re doing, so I didn’t think of myself as some sort of pinnacle of educational excellence or something,” Filipczak said. “It was just what me and my family decided to do and what we believed was the best choice to make and what was in my best interest.”
Contact the reporter at melauer@asu.edu
