Like most 11-year-olds, Philip Bauer of Safety Harbor is kept busy with classes and homework. Unlike most of his peers, some of his comes from precalculus classes at St. Petersburg College.
By PETER SCHWEITZER
Published November 11, 2003
SAFETY HARBOR - Last summer Philip Bauer attended St. Petersburg College while his father waited right outside the classroom door.
That's because Philip needed a ride to and from the college.
And he had to watch his bedtime.
Philip isn't a typical college student. He isn't even a teenager. He is 11 years old and attends the sixth grade at Safety Harbor Middle School.
"Philip is a remarkable young man," says Joe Skala, a St. Petersburg College math instructor who has known him since he was in fourth grade. "In my experience teaching, there has never been anyone who has come close to him. He is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. He aced every test he took here."
Philip's parents have always marveled at their only child's abilities.
"He's been special since birth," said his mother, Sally Bauer, 45, a registered nurse. "He was able to read without assistance at 3."
Philip is now taking precalculus algebra at SPC.
"It feels a little weird sometimes," he says of attending classes with students nearly twice his age. "But I think the other students are used to it by now. I don't have a lot of time to think about it, I'm busy between all my classes and homework."
Yet from all accounts Philip is a normal 11-year-old.
"He's a very outgoing kid," says father Roland Bauer, 51, a retired engineer. "He plays games just like all the other kids. He likes to ride his bike, plays on the jungle gym and comes home with bruised knees like any other kid his age."
While Philip attended Leila Davis Elementary in Clearwater, his fourth-grade teacher, Garth Pearl, asked Skala if he would be willing to work with Philip.
"I went through algebra with him," Skala said. "It was obvious from the outset that Philip could do basic college algebra."
His academic prowess is not limited to math. Philip's reading comprehension was measured at over 1500 last year. A normal sixth-grader would score around 880. In 2002, he received a certificate from the state of Florida for achieving perfect FCAT scores in math, reading and writing.
He also has played chess competitively since the age of 6. He has won a Florida state championship title, a Louisiana State Blitz Championship, and he tied for fourth place on the national level for his age group.
"Philip and I attend chess tournaments about every other weekend," his father says. "It's a fun thing for the both of us."
Philip says he's not sure what he wants to do when he gets older.
"I'll definitely go to college," he said. "There are so many things to choose from."
His father Roland is thinking his son may be able to enter college without going the normal route of high school.
"I'm thinking he may be able to skip high school," he said. "There are lots of programs that would allow for this."
Skala, who has been a college professor at St. Petersburg College since 1980, understands the importance of nurturing the young student.
"It will be important to benchmark Philip as far as his abilities lie," he said.
Right now, he is focusing on the present.
"I enjoy what I'm doing," Philip said. "I'm having fun."
