{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"The News Journal","provider_url":"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net","title":"Teen prodigy earns master\u2019s degree from Cumberlands &ndash; The News Journal","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"cBHRxUlojb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/teen-prodigy-earns-masters-degree-from-cumberlands\/\">Teen prodigy earns master\u2019s degree from Cumberlands<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/teen-prodigy-earns-masters-degree-from-cumberlands\/embed\/#?secret=cBHRxUlojb\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;Teen prodigy earns master\u2019s degree from Cumberlands&#8221; &#8212; The News Journal\" data-secret=\"cBHRxUlojb\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Kamal-Yerra.jpg","thumbnail_width":360,"thumbnail_height":480,"description":"Kamal Yerra, a 15-year old from Fort Mill, South Carolina, has completed a master\u2019s degree program at University of the Cumberlands. It is his second college degree, and the prodigy is nearing completion of a third. Kamal finished high school at age 13, and afterward, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business in just six months at Excelsior College in New York. He went on to complete a Master of Science in Information Systems Security from Cumberlands, and at the ripe old age of 15, this teen is working on his MBA. Kamal\u2019s family says he is the third-youngest person in America to earn a master\u2019s degree. \u201cI chose Cumberlands because it offers affordable degree options that are entirely online. They always listen to their students\u2019 feedback and fine-tune their teaching methods and processes accordingly,\u201d said Kamal. \u201cAdditionally, Cumberlands is a Christian minority institution and ensures the highest integrity while delivering courses.\u201d Though Kamal has accomplished feats many never attempt, one news outlet described him as \u201cquietly unassuming and a little shy.\u201d Evidently, that shyness has not held him back from pushing himself beyond his limits. His family attributes his sudden burst of academic focus to brotherly love and some good-natured sibling rivalry. Back when Kamal was 10, his older brother, Shashi, mentioned that he wanted to graduate from college as early as he could. That got Kamal thinking. If his brother, just one year older, could pursue something like that, why couldn\u2019t he? Before long, the brothers were both working on their bachelor\u2019s degrees, which they earned at the same time. \u201cMy parents spent their savings to support our success, and they gave of their time to explain key concepts I needed help with,\u201d said Kamal. \u201cMy brother, who is a Cumberlands student currently, is a high-quality programmer and a visionary. He always guided me in the right direction; in fact, he took a couple of breaks in his education to help me be successful.\u201d Kamal\u2019s professors noticed his work ethic and positive attitude early on. \u201cKamal is a high achiever. My ISOL-699 course didn\u2019t start until August 17, and Kamal was trying to access the course back in July. That shows you how eager he was to start learning,\u201d said Dr. Machica McClain, Director of the MSSIS program at Cumberlands. Her class taught students how to handle a real-life information security issue by evaluating a problem, identifying potential solutions, and implementing the best solution, according to Cumberlands\u2019 website. \u201cFrom the start of course, Kamal was on point and ready to develop a security assessment plan for a company. He was understanding of any feedback I provided and applied it to his work,\u201d Dr. McClain added. \u201cHe is respectful and humble, and I do believe he will go far in life. It is an honor to impact and shape the mind of this young man, and I wish him all the best.\u201d Kamal said Dr. McClain\u2019s course was his favorite subject. He praised a number of his professors for their high-quality, \u201calmost military-grade\u201d IT security teaching, user-friendly online learning setup, personalized approach and individual attention to him as a student, and provision of extra explanations and resources to help him grasp his courses\u2019 material. \u201cIndeed, it\u2019s a journey,\u201d he said. \u201cI can credit all my professors and my student success coordinator, Logan Isaacs, who guided me at each and every step. Several professors played a vital role in my success.\u201d Parents Ravi and Durga Yerra have supported both Kamal and his brother in their academic pursuits. They are immensely proud of their children. \u201cWe\u2019re so glad that both of our children have been gifted with a natural ability to learn beyond measure and excel in their academic endeavors,\u201d the parents told a news outlet. Both parents were born and raised in India before moving to the U.S. to advance their careers and offer better opportunities for their children. Seeing as they are both software professionals, it\u2019s no surprise where young Kamal gets his talent for technology. With a high school education and (soon) three college degrees under his belt, the natural question is, \u201cWhat will Kamal do now?\u201d Unsurprisingly, he\u2019s already gotten started on his career goals. Kamal and Shashi are working together with other developers at NthEye, LLC, to develop a product for online proctoring software and solutions, to help universities conduct exams online securely. Someday \u2013 possibly within the next five years \u2013 Kamal hopes to be CEO of a company. He is also considering pursuing a Ph.D. at Cumberlands, and if so, would be one of the youngest students to do so."}