AGE IS JUST A NUMBER

At 16, Innis grad Vivian Xie keeps her learning fun

BY EMILY SAKAGUCHI (HBA ’24 INNIS, URBAN STUDIES)

When people hear that 16-year-old Vivian (Qiao) Xie has just graduated from the University of Toronto with a double major in biology, and cell and molecular biology, they might immediately picture a hyper-focused academic who exhibits superhuman efficiency. But that's not Vivian Xie. Xie’s young age (she is the youngest U of T grad in at least 40 years) is remarkable, but it’s her attitude towards learning that sets her apart.

“I’m learning-fun inclined,” says the Innis College alumna. “The way I learn is that if it’s not interesting to me, I will probably procrastinate. That’s also why I skipped grades. I was just bored.”

She also admits that learning isn’t always fun for her. When this happens, she reads about landmark scientific experiments to rekindle her sense of fun.

“I owe a lot to my grandmother,” says Xie, who thinks of her as “the main educator” in her life. Xie says her grandmother taught middle-school and high-school chemistry, biology, physics, and math. “She’s a great teacher. You don’t really notice when she’s teaching you something.”

Xie is careful to note that, while her grandmother encouraged her love of learning, she was never pressured in her academics. “I chose my path by myself from the beginning,” Xie says.

This path led her to transfer from the University of Prince Edward Island to U of T at the age of 12. From there, she found a community at Innis College. Xie says that Innis seemed more willing to take on a younger student. “I feel like Innis overall is really accepting of unique cases. Innis provided a really safe and comfortable environment for me.”

Now, Xie is beginning her master’s in applied immunology at U of T. Although she has sped through her education so far, she affirms that it’s better not to go too fast. “I might take a gap year before I do my PhD. There’s no rush for me.”

She is also interested in eventually taking on projects to help students who, like her, are academically ahead, and might need a little social support. In the meantime, her personal projects include learning Mandarin, doing digital art—and relaxing.