Joe’s rapid academic ascent began with a high school diploma at 11, a milestone that set the stage for his next leap. He earned the diploma in 2024, the same year he started his undergraduate studies at Louisiana State University, where he now sits alongside seniors in a cohort that is a decade older.
The 10‑point gap from the maximum SAT score—1,590 out of 1,600—caught the attention of New York University’s admissions office, which offered him a place in its 2027‑entry sports‑management master’s track. In a statement to CBS News New York, Joe said, "It’s not like I was shot out the womb knowing everything I know. I have to learn it once or twice. Then I’ll know."
His mother, Anne Petraro‑Hyppolite, recalled his early struggles with Tourette syndrome. "When he graduated high school so young, it was surreal," she told the press. "He just loves to learn. He is like a sponge."
Beyond the classroom, Joe volunteers at a nursing home in the Five Towns area, helping residents with daily tasks. He also dreams of becoming a palaeontologist, a passion that complements his interests in kinesiology and biology.
He will finish his undergraduate degree at LSU in May 2027 and will then begin his postgraduate studies at NYU in the fall, where he plans to focus on the business side of sports while pursuing his broader scientific curiosities.