Sixteen-year-old Trenton Lee—this year’s youngest graduating senior at Cal State L.A.—will be conferred a baccalaureate degree in biology with honors at the CSULA Commencement on Saturday, June 16.
Lee has recently been accepted to Boston University and American University for admission this fall.
His goal is to become a physician, specializing in the cure of kidney disease.
“I intend to focus on the surgical aspect of kidney research to find new, effective treatments, especially in the area of kidney transplants,” said Lee, of Seal Beach. “Additionally, I plan to investigate the side effects of anti-cancer drugs on kidney function under real-time constant observation.”
Lee took advantage of CSULA’s Early Entrance Program (EEP) to start college at the age of 14. EEP admits extraordinarily gifted youngsters—some as young as 11—directly into college, providing the early entrants with monitored evaluation, regular counseling sessions, and the opportunity to study with like-minded peers.
A Dean’s List student, Lee has served as a web master and news editor for the Golden Key honor society on campus. He is also a member of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and the Mock Trial Club at CSULA.
He was previously a volunteer at the Rosemead Dialysis Center, and an intern at the Academia Sinica-Institute of Biomedical Sciences in Taiwan. Under the direction of CSULA Professor Yong Ba, he has conducted research on the potential applications of antifreeze proteins through their shapes using protein spectroscopy and protein labeling.
In the community, he has presented piano and violin performances at Katella Senior Living Community in Los Alamitos and Sunrise Assisted and Independent Living in Seal Beach.
Lee credits Professor Tsann-Long Su from Academia Sinica and Professors Yong Ba, Sandra Sharp, and Howard Xu from Cal State L.A. for his academic success. He said, “They took a special interest in me, and they guided me toward a satisfying research experience. Under their guidance, I learned a team-approach to research, novel lab techniques, and writing techniques for creating a high-quality thesis.”
