At age 11, Alisa Perales has become one of the youngest students to enroll at the University of California, Riverside (UC Riverside), according to alumni records. She began her studies as a computer science major this fall after transferring from Crafton Hills College in Yucaipa, where she started attending classes at age 8 and completed two associate degrees.
Alisa’s early education was shaped by her father, Rafael Perales, a self-employed attorney who homeschooled her from an early age. He noticed her aptitude for learning when she was a toddler and tailored lessons to keep them engaging. “My whole philosophy was to make everything fun because if it’s not fun then the mind wanders and interest is lost, and there’s no moving forward on that point,” he said. “So keeping it fun by singing songs, singing ABCs, singing different things, just progressed to putting the words together from the letters and the sounds.”
From ages 1 to 4, Alisa studied six days a week before shifting to five days a week after turning four. Her father rewarded her efforts with weekend trips to Disneyland.
By age 8, Alisa had met all California high school graduation requirements. Following advice from a counselor about transitioning from homeschooling, she enrolled at Crafton Hills College in spring 2023. She earned associate degrees in multiple sciences and mathematics with a grade point average of 3.8.
After exploring several options for further study, Alisa chose UC Riverside due in part to its proximity to their home in San Bernardino and its engineering program that allowed her to major in computer science. Financial aid helped cover much of her tuition costs.
Now at UC Riverside, Alisa attends classes while continuing many typical activities for someone her age—she plays soccer with her AYSO team and recently dressed up as Hermione from Harry Potter for Halloween. She has also joined student clubs on campus and attended university events.
Her instructor Tofigh Heidarzadeh noted Alisa’s strong performance in his class: “She’s always on time, following the lectures seriously, and taking notes,” he said.
Despite being younger than most of her peers, Alisa says other students have been welcoming. “They don’t seem to have too much of a reaction and they seem nice,” she said. “I’m meeting more and more people here. Hopefully all goes well.”
Alisa hopes to complete her bachelor’s degree within two years before possibly pursuing graduate studies focused on artificial intelligence or space exploration.
