Teen face: Dakota Decker

Personal: Dakota Decker is an 18-year-old who just graduated from Sonoma State University. He lives in Petaluma with his mom, Kathy; dad, Ross; and brother, Cheyenne, 22. The family has a Jack Russell terrier named Raiden and a cat who answers to "Hey, You."

The young man with NASA: While Dakota Decker attended Sonoma State University to earn his bachelor's degree in physics, he participated in NASA's Education and Public Outreach program.

"It's a little less exciting than flying with NASA, but we work on high-energy stuff -- X-rays and gamma rays and astronomy. We also make educational materials for kids," said the teen who will attend UCLA in the fall to pursue his master's degree in mechanical engineering.

College before he could shave: Back in the old days, in elementary school, it was quickly discerned that Decker was a math whiz.

"I went to Pine Crest, where we had third, fourth and fifth grades all in one class. Right away, I did fifth-grade math. In sixth grade, I jumped to eighth-grade math. Math is what jumped me ahead," he said.

He moved on to Technology High School, which is located on the Sonoma State campus. By 13, he was taking math and science courses at Santa Rosa Junior College and SSU.

He has worked closely at SSU with department chair Dr. Lynn Cominsky, a professor of physics and astronomy. Under her guidance, he helped install and maintain a ground-based robotic telescope owned by the NASA Education and Public Outreach program.

"I guess, in a way, when I was in high school, I was also going to college. It was easy to adapt," he said.

Finish your homework fast -- have fun: He participated in three years of competitive gymnastics, winning several medals.

He has volunteered at the Sonoma County Health & Harmony Festival for five consecutive years. His club memberships included the Society of Physics Students, the Chess and Go Club and Chemistry Club. He's currently striving to attain his pilot's license.

In service to mankind: His ultimate goal, perhaps after attaining a doctorate in physics, is to work as a researcher in robotics, particularly the field of brain interfacing.

"The idea is to have your brain control a machine or prosthetic. A lot of companies are working in the field. I could see it ultimately really helping with or correcting things like Parkinson's or other muscular degenerative conditions," he said.

If that doesn't work out, Decker is also interested in building spaceships or space stations.

Road Trip -- Dakota style: Last summer, he trekked to the Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo, N.M., to help with testing for private companies. He also worked on hardware construction for thermocouple amplification and filtration and other projects.

"I got the job after I spoke to some people at an aerospace conference. I lived on my own there and turned 18 there, watching tests of things like bunker busters," he said.

This summer, he's planning a trip with his brother. They hope to have an adventure in Costa Rica.

The goatee really helps: When he packs for college, he'll be sure to include scrapbooks his girlfriend filled with photos of his time at Sonoma State.

Things likely will be a bit different at his new school.

When he walks into a classroom this fall, he'll look pretty much like everyone else. For once, he won't look startlingly young. Maybe it's the goatee.

"It's nice to stand out, but by now, I think I've gotten my fill. And I won't miss the jokes about me being the only minor," he said.

-- Rayne Wolfe