He told his teacher who thought he was up to nothing because of his poor performance in class, that he was going to work towards meeting the President of Ghana.
Anthony Jefferson Hanson's strength was definitely not academics but he was an 'art god', right from birth.
That talent didn't do him much good in school where it was barely recognised but after school, with his grandfather, Emmanuel Ewusi's guidance, he blossomed.
Today, his story is different, his work and artistry is speaking for him in Ghana and beyond.
What's more, his childhood dream has been realised, his painting of the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo got him a meet with the first Gentleman.
He recounted the story of how it all happened to Wonder Ami Hagan in this edition of People & Places on GhanaWeb TV.
"When I was in school, I was very bad at maths, academically, I wasn't sharp like that and so a lot of things came on my side when it came to punishment and beating. So one time, they were teaching and I flipped the book and was drawing the teacher and he came from behind, I didn't know," he said.
"I got lashes, and I cried, he felt so bad so he came and asked; 'so you Core maths you don't know, this you don't know, what do you want to become?' and I told him I wanted to be the biggest artist ever to have come out of Ghana, and this was JHS 2.
"So when I met the President and I posted it on Facebook, our class prefect at the time commented and reminded me and it all became emotional," he added.
Watch the full video below: