Long Island teen Joe Petraro-Hyppolite has achieved so much despite so much adversity

NEED TO KNOW

• Joe Petraro-Hyppolite, 13, has dealt with bullying, Tourette’s syndrome and leukemia and now has been accepted into a New York University master’s program for next fall
• But that’s not all: He also founded Joe’s Be Kind Campaign, helped build wells in Africa and promotes inclusivity through sports programs
• The teen advocates for mental health awareness and encourages others to find hope and support

Joe Petraro-Hyppolite wants people to know he’s more than just a 13-year-old from Long Island with an IQ of 168 and one of the youngest people ever accepted into a master’s program at New York University. (Oh, and he’s an author and humanitarian.)

He also loves gaming, dinosaurs, sports and being with his friends. In other words — a teenage boy. And he sounds like it.

“I’m funny,” Joe tells PEOPLE, adding that one of his favorite things to do is hang out with a fellow Little Leaguer named Lazar. “He’s smart, but we say I got the smart gene and he got the sports gene.”

Joe has achieved so much despite so much adversity.

His family says his early school years were marked by misunderstanding while parents Anne Petraro-Hyppolite and Oswald Hyppolite struggled to figure out what was happening to their only child.

Joe’s issues in the classroom trace back to kindergarten, where he was perceived as too quiet — almost mute — with problems communicating, according to his family. He’s also long dealt with verbal and physical tics. Eventually, he was placed in special education.

But his family says a turning point came in the third grade, when he had a breakthrough while also facing a new health challenge. That year, he was diagnosed with lymphocytic leukemia.

“It was a bad year,” Anne, a therapist, says. “He had a shaved head because of the treatment. He would purposely fail his tests and not spell the words right. Then he would come home and be reading about coding things. It didn’t add up.”

When Joe’s third-grade teacher recommended evaluations, he was diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome, dyslexia and severe obsessive-compulsive disorder — not learning disabilities. His IQ was also tested, revealing a score of 168.

“If it weren’t for that teacher, I’m 100% positive he would still be in special ed, in eighth grade and banging his head against the wall,” says Anne, 47.

Joe changed to a new school offering a work-at-your-own-pace. He excelled, graduating middle and then high school by 11. From there, he was accepted into Louisiana State University’s online program and is set to earn a bachelor’s degree in May. After that, he’s head to NYU’s global sport master’s program.

Starting in 2020, Joe published a series of short books and, when he was just 7, he donated about $2,000 through his Cub Scout pack’s fundraising program to help children whose parents cannot afford the membership dues to participate.

In July 2022, he also started the nonprofit initiative Joe’s Be Kind Campaign, which includes an Adopt a Grandparent intergenerational program, Joe’s Wells for Humanity, through which he has built over 127 wells in Africa, and a Sports for All league providing free, inclusive athletic opportunities. 

What’s more, the enterprising teen does fundraising events connected to The Nightbirde Foundation in memory of his friend Jane “Nightbirde” Marczewski, whose cancer story inspired millions on America’s Got Talent. And outside of all that, Joe advocates in schools for greater awareness and understanding of Tourette’s syndrome. 

His prowess earned the attention of local and then national media. Still, Joe can be shy about discussing his academic success.

“I felt like I couldn’t be myself,” he says of his early school experience. “If I’m being honest, it actually never changed. I still hide it a lot.”

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He says he’s open to talking about it now, but he’s not going to bring the subject up on his own.

“My mom says I’m humble, but at the same time I don’t want the drama,” he says. “Half the time, people never believe me. Sometimes they’re rude and say I should be in regular school with kids your own age.”

When he was younger, Joe was severely bullied for his Tourette’s, his cancer diagnosis and his intelligence, which led to a suicide attempt and ultimately prompted his family to relocate.

“I had a lot of low points,” Joe says. “One day they kicked me out of CYO [Catholic Youth Organization] basketball. They were bullying me a lot and the coaches took their side. I just said, ‘This is the last straw. I’m done.’ ”

He went home and tried to harm himself while his mom was upstairs in the house.

“[She] called me just in time, and that was only four years ago,” Joe says. “I’m so glad I’m still here.”

Things began to improve when he began attending Louisiana State University remotely for kinesiology, he says. As for his health, his cancer is now in check with “a good prognosis,” his mom says. He manages his other conditions with with therapy and medications.

His long-term ambition is to work in a science field.

“Maybe paleontology, archeology, marine biology, just because it is just fun,” he says. “I also love talking to my geek friends about that stuff because they’re honestly the only ones that understand because they have the same interests.”

But ultimately, he wants others to remember “not to listen to stupid people, not to ever think about taking their own life.”

And, he adds, “always remember that there’s someone out there, no matter how far away they are or how old they are, that cares about them.”

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