Eight-year-olds often carry big dreams and even bigger questions about how the world works. Moshe Kai Cavalin is no exception, but his path defies typical expectations. Now fourteen, he has just published his first book, and the focus of his writing stands out for its unusual subject and clear voice. While many kids his age chase cartoons and video games, Cavalin’s story centers on a life lived on a college campus when he was still in elementary school. The book offers a candid look at what it meant for a child to attend classes, balance responsibilities, and dream big in a setting usually reserved for older students. It is a reminder that ambition can arrive early and be paired with steady, practical work. What makes his tale so compelling is not only the milestones he reached but the everyday effort behind them—long study sessions, disciplined routines, and a practical approach to learning rather than flashes of luck. Readers may be surprised by how accessible the message feels and how the lessons apply across North America. The journey also invites readers to rethink how early educational opportunities can shape a life.
The book, WE CAN DO, is written as a memoir of those formative years when the campus life was a mix of excitement and challenge for a child. It follows his daily routine: arriving on a busy campus, sitting in classrooms designed for older students, and learning to manage time between lectures, assignments, and the expectations of a college community. The narrative highlights the mentors who saw potential, the moments of doubt common to any student, and the practical choices that kept him moving forward. Cavalin describes not only the math and related subjects he studied but the mindset that let a very young learner keep pace with peers many years older. The story also touches on the social side of campus life, the adjustments needed to fit in, and the resilience required to stay focused when the world around him felt larger than a child’s routine. In short, it is more than a record of unusual achievements; it is a guide to approaching education with deliberate practice and a clear plan for progress, all grounded in real experiences.
From the earliest years, Cavalin pushed beyond what many expect from a child. He began his higher education journey at East Los Angeles College, a choice that would set him on an extraordinary pace. He earned one of two Associate of Arts degrees by the age of nine, maintaining a flawless 4.0 grade point average along the way. The momentum continued as he moved toward a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he is currently preparing to graduate. After earning the bachelor’s degree, his sights are set on graduate studies, with a planned master’s program that would deepen his study of mathematics and its applications. The path reflects a lasting belief in early exposure to rigorous study and the discipline required to sustain it. His educational plan remains focused on building a solid foundation in math while embracing opportunities to learn across related disciplines and real-world problem solving.
Cavalin attributes his progress to hard work rather than innate genius. In interviews and in WE CAN DO, he emphasizes that steady, focused effort matters more than natural talent. He describes a routine built around long study sessions, careful planning, and the support of teachers and family who encouraged him to push forward. The book shares practical routines that helped him balance intense coursework with the normal rhythms of childhood: spaced practice, regular review, and a policy of four hours of television per week to keep his mind free for problems. The message is simple and powerful: stick with the work, refine methods, and trust the process.
Social media plays a deliberately small role in Cavalin’s world. Public remarks note that online time is limited, a choice some families make to foster concentration and healthy habits. For Cavalin, those boundaries have aligned with a steady progression: each milestone builds on the last, every new challenge met with careful preparation. The result is a story that resonates with students facing pressure to prove themselves, as well as with parents and educators trying to understand what sustained effort can look like in practice. The book WE CAN DO offers readers a real-life example of persistence translated into tangible results and demonstrates how consistent work can open doors that seem out of reach for young students.