Communications of the ACM
He's About to Graduate College and Join SpaceX as an Engineer. He's 14
While in college, only one company responded to then 10-year-old Kairan Quazi's inquiry about a possible internship.
Credit: Lisa Robinson / Santa Clara University
Kairan Quazi will probably need someone to drive him to work at SpaceX. He's only 14.
The teen is scheduled to graduate this month from the Santa Clara University School of Engineering before starting a job as a software engineer at the satellite communications and spacecraft manufacturer.
"I think my college years have been the happiest years of my life, because I had a lot of autonomy, really, to share my journey," Kairan said in an interview.
The soft-spoken teen said working with Starlink — the satellite Internet team at SpaceX — will allow him to be part of something bigger than himself.
When he was 9, Kairan felt he wasn't being challenged by his schoolwork. His parents, teacher, and pediatrician agreed that he was ready for more advanced studies. The youngster jumped from third grade to a community college, with a workload that he felt made sense.
Asked what he plans to wear on his first day, Kairan joked in an email that he plans "to show up in head to toe SpaceX merch. I'll be a walking commercial! Joking aside, I'll probably wear jeans and a t-shirt so I can be taken seriously as an engineer."
From Los Angeles Times
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