20 Under 20 Program Proves College Not Always the Only Path to Success

KTVU – Feb. 15, 2012

Peter Thiel’s 20 Under 20 program was featured on KTVU as an unconventional, yet positive path to success, citing one fellow’s experience with the program. Laura Deming, 17, was chosen as a Thiel Fellow in 2011 to pursue alternative therapies to prevent aging.

 “For those students who want to strike out on their own, there's a fellowship that will pay you to do so.

Offered by Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel, the '20 Under 20' fellowship program wants to help young adults and teens turn groundbreaking ideas into reality.

For two years, the 20 selected candidates under the age of 20 are given access to mentors and innovators already working in their field and $100,000.

The only requirement? The fellows, such as Laura Deming, can't be full-time college students. Deming was just 15 years old when she was accepted to MIT.

‘When I first got to MIT, it was a bit difficult to adjust to being in class and having regular homework to turn in. Sometimes I wouldn't understand the point of an assignment, and that was a bit odd,’ said Deming. She dreams of being a bio-tech entrepreneur. More specifically, Deming wants to cure aging.”

Read the full story here.