14-Year-Old California Engineering Whiz Recruited By SpaceX

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (IANS) – Kairan Quazi, a 14-year-old boy, is about to embark on a new role as a software engineer at Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

Quazi, based in San Francisco, is a graduate of Santa Clara University’s School of Engineering. In a LinkedIn post, he announced that he will be joining SpaceX’s Starlink team.

“Next stop: SpaceX!” exclaimed Quazi, who successfully navigated a highly transparent, technically challenging, and enjoyable interview process.

“I will be joining the coolest company on the planet as a Software Engineer on the Starlink engineering team. It’s one of the few companies that didn’t use my age as an arbitrary and outdated measure of maturity and ability,” he proudly added.

According to his LinkedIn bio, this prodigious talent has gained hands-on experience in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) through a multi-year co-op at a Fortune 100 technology company and a summer internship at a VC-backed cyber intelligence start-up.

Impressively, Quazi enrolled at Las Positas Community College at the age of just nine. He has earned an Associate of Science degree in Mathematics with the highest distinction.

“At first, when I started at Santa Clara University, people were quite intrigued,” he shared. “But after a few days, I think the novelty wore off and many realized that I’m just a regular person.”

During his time at Las Positas, Quazi also worked as a STEM tutor and became one of the most sought-after members of the tutoring staff.

“I went from being a rebellious third-grader to feeling intellectually validated,” Quazi expressed.

Quazi highlighted that his career trajectory changed when he had the opportunity to work on generative AI with Lama Nachman, the Director of the Intelligent Systems Research Lab at Intel Labs.

“In a landscape where many prestigious Silicon Valley companies said ‘no,’ having one leader say ‘yes’ and one door open changed everything,” he shared in his post.

According to media sources, Quazi’s parents mentioned that he was speaking in full sentences by the age of two.

“By third grade, it became evident to my teachers, parents, and pediatrician that the traditional education system wasn’t the right fit for my accelerated learning ability,” Quazi explained.

“Some may think I’m missing out on a conventional childhood mindset, but I don’t believe that’s true. I don’t think it would make sense for someone with my capabilities to be confined to graduating middle school right now. I have the ability to tackle rigorous graduate-level work and engage in prestigious co-op experiences. Joining SpaceX as a software engineer aligns perfectly with my aspirations. I don’t believe anyone with extraordinary abilities should feel trapped,” he confidently added.

Quazi expressed his gratitude to his mentors at Santa Clara University and Intel, who provided him with opportunities to transcend his age.

“I am forever grateful for recognizing my value, trusting in my abilities, and investing in my personal growth. I am thrilled to carry these invaluable lessons into my professional career,” Quazi expressed.

“I am packing my rain boots and eagerly awaiting July!”