[In high school] She came in second in the microbiology category of the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in 2007 with a research project on the effect of antioxidants on the lifespan of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.[23][24] In a show of appreciation for her efforts, the MIT Lincoln Laboratory named a small asteroid after her: 23238 Ocasio-Cortez.[25][26] In high school, she took part in the National Hispanic Institute’s Lorenzo de Zavala (LDZ) Youth Legislative Session. After graduating, she became the LDZ secretary of state while attending Boston University. Ocasio-Cortez had a John F. Lopez Fellowship.[27]
Obama was a constitutional scholar. We can debate academic vs hands on, but he was well versed.
AOC is herself, pretty well educated:
That was before she even went to college