A boy genius has become a university lecturer at just 16 – after securing two diplomas in psychology from the same college.
Handré Laubscher is still in school himself, but the wunderkind’s smarts are no surprise to his parents, who noticed he got bored when they would read him fairytales as a tot.
Instead, he opted to read encyclopaedias and psychology textbooks – starting his keen interest in the subject.
READ MORE: ‘I’m saving HUNDREDS buying my daughter second-hand Christmas presents – and other mums are joining me’
- Advertisement -
By the time he was five, Handré could identify all the planets in the solar system, according to his parents, Magda and Paul.
Still, even then, they didn’t realise just how smart their only child was – but when he started to immerse himself in the complexities of the human psyche, researching online, they realised their boy was in a league of his own.
Now, Handré, who lives in Christiana, South Africa, has several achievements under his belt – two diplomas in psychology from a recognised Irish online institution, two self-published online books and a research article published in a respected American psychology journal.
He is still involved in the university where he earned his diplomas – not as a student anymore, but as a lecturer and moderator in his chosen field: abnormal psychology, a branch of psychology that studies unusual patterns of behaviour, emotion and thought that may be considered a mental disorder.
He works with students online around his schooling – with Handré still in Grade 10 of high school, juggling his extracurricular activities because he “doesn’t need much sleep”.
- Advertisement -
His interest in psychology also dates back to childhood, according to Magda, who recalls his behaviour at parties growing up.
“All the children were playing happily together, but not Handré,” she told What’s The Jam.
“He just sat on his camping chair, watching everyone and making notes in his notebook.
- Advertisement -
“When I asked him what he was doing, he said: ‘I’m analysing the children’.”
Handré isn’t sure what triggered his interest in all things psychology.
He said: “Maybe it’s because I’ve liked watching people and their behaviour from a young age.
“I like finding out more about humans – I want to know what goes on beneath the surface.”
Though he does recall finding psychology books fascinating as a child, adding: “It was much more interesting than a storybook.
“I think that’s when the psychology bug really bit me.”
It’s an interest that has proved fruitful for the teen, who has recently had a research article of his published in the Journal of Organisational Psychology.
He has also earned two diplomas – one in mental health, achieved in 2023, and one in conflict resolution, given last year.
Handré says he can’t claim to be a psychologist – that takes years of study and recognised degrees – but it’s a hobby he loves and one that sets him apart from his peers.
He added: “Not everyone is necessarily in a place where they’ll understand my concepts and my research.
“I’m not a nerd, though.
“At school, I’m really an extrovert, and I make time for other kids.
“I’m not one of those guys who gets 100 per cent in all my subjects.
“Why would I want to? To prove what to whom?
“I get distinctions, and that’s good enough for me.
“To tell the truth, I find going to school extremely boring. But I’ll finish matric there.”
After he graduates, Handré plans to study law and applied psychology at university, continuing his studies.
READ MORE: ‘I have nine kids by four different dads at age 27 – but I’m not done yet’
