Shania Shakura Muhammad circulated back into the limelight when she went viral for her day job as a teacher! Last year, her father revealed she was the “youngest full-timed salaried teacher in the United States” in a Facebook post. Shania is 16! After she recently joined the “I Am” TikTok trend, her video got so much love online.
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Shania played on the questions she gets as a teacher when she tells people her age. In the video, she said the top reaction she gets is, “No, you’re not.”
“I’m a 16-year-old teacher, anytime I tell someone I’m a 16-year-old teacher. They always ask,” How do parent-teacher conferences go?” I’m a 16-year-old. Sixteen-year-olds can drive. I drive to work. I don’t get dropped off. Of course, people are going to doubt my ability to do my job.”
Though some may doubt it, Shania has her degrees and certification on her side! She started college at 13 and graduated with two associate’s degrees the same day. Shania became a Langston University legend after graduating with a bachelor’s at 15 in May 2023. She was honored with Summa Cum Laude Honors Distinction and recognized her as a McCabe Scholar and a Thurgood Marshall National Scholar.
Shania tells The Shade Room that she gained over 100 combined hours of professional development and on-site student-teacher training. She enrolled in the Thurgood Marshall National Teacher Professional Development Program during back-back summers in Houston and Washington, D.C., to complete her certification.
In October, Shania told Jennifer Hudson on her talk show that she was working on her master’s degree and on track to graduate in spring 2024. Her MBA will be in business administration and marketing in the spring of 2024.
Watch Shania talk about being a below! Swipe to see how she had J-Hud (and us) on mouth-dropped!
Oklahoma Teacher Shania Comes From A Family Of Excellence
Shania is working as a third-grade teacher and is pretty open about her educational journey on TikTok. She also makes content, as seen above and below, about being a teacher.
Shania comes from a family of educational excellence! Her older brother and sister also graduated on the same day as her, all walking the stage together. Meanwhile, her 13-year-old brother, Elijah, is a senior at Oklahoma State University and on track to graduate in April 2024. He is reportedly the youngest Black American in history to graduate with an associate’s degree in cybersecurity. He got that degree from Oklahoma City Community College.
See more about Elijah and Shania’s journey below.
Beyond being educated, the teens’ support system appears solid! Their father, Elijah, showed his support for Shania’s career choice in his previously mentioned Facebook post.
“Beyond Her Long Resume and Professional Accolades, She Has A True Desire and Passion For Teaching!!! People Will Always Have Criticism And Negative Things To Say, but We Are Use To It and Not One Negative Comment has Slowed Down Our Family’s History Making Progress. I’m Super Proud Of My Daughter For Being Bold And Brave and Stepping Out On Her Faith and Into Her Purpose and Not Allowing Peoples Opinions Of Her To Dictate The Reality of Her Dreams and Passions,” her father wrote.
On her Facebook page, Shania reportedly credited her father as the “coach, supporter, teacher, guide, and everything else” she needed to be successful, per AfroTech.
Outside of shining in academics and teaching, Shania tells TSR she has a forthcoming book and runs a clothing brand, Smart Girl Clothing.
