Kairan Quazi, a 14-year-old Bangladeshi-American boy from Pleasanton, California, has achieved a remarkable feat by graduating from Santa Clara University’s School of Engineering. However, one of the most impressive accomplishments on Quazi’s CV is that in July, he will start working at Elon Musk’s SpaceX as a software engineer, breaking the record for the youngest professional to be employed by the company.
Quazi is quick-witted, articulate, and intellectually curious, able to speak in complete sentences since the age of two. He had an IQ in the 99.9th percentile, demonstrating remarkable knowledge beyond his years in science, politics, and current events. Despite his youth, Quazi has held many tech internships, including one at machine learning firm Blackbird.AI, which specialises in identifying deepfakes and AI-generated videos. He also worked with Intel Lab’s Human AI Lab, making him the only undergraduate intern on his team.
Quazi found solace, excitement, and intellectual stimulation by immersing himself in the tech world. He said he initially enrolled in courses at Las Positas Community College when he was nine because it gave him the opportunity to take classes he could not take anywhere else, including those in subjects such as algorithms, statistics, and artificial intelligence.
While his academic credentials are impressive, what distinguishes Quazi from other prodigies is his emotional intelligence. He acknowledged he had great mentors and teachers, but his biggest inspiration is his mother, Tasneem Bootwala-Quali. She has given him the encouragement he needed, saying, “Do what you’re good at, find your passion, and be happy. Money will follow if you’re doing what you’re passionate about.”
Quazi’s passion has led him to join one of the most exciting start-ups in the world. SpaceX has ambitious plans to revolutionise space exploration while simultaneously striving to provide universal internet access through its Starlink network. Quazi will work on the project as a software engineer, an opportunity he considers the coolest job on the planet. In an interview with the BBC, Quazi said, “SpaceX did not use my age as an arbitrary and outdated proxy for maturity and ability, rather saw the potential in a young technologist starting on his journey.”
Quazi’s appointment at SpaceX encouraged people to recognise age should not be an impediment to professional success. The eminent astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson supported Quazi’s achievement, tweeting, “In the realm of science & technology, what matters is what you DO with the knowledge & skills you have, rather than the number of birthdays celebrated along the way.”
Quazi’s journey, while affirming the importance of nurturing gifted children, is also a success for diversity. As a Bangladeshi-American Muslim, Quazi is proud of his heritage, which he said motivates him to work harder. He believes minorities must be comfortable entering and working in innovative and groundbreaking fields, such as technology, space, and aviation, where they have been historically underrepresented. Quazi is paving the way for future young Brown engineers.
In conclusion, Kairan Quazi’s path from college to work, from tech enthusiast to professional engineer, proves that age, race, or religion are not obstacles to success when passion and hard work meet opportunity and merit. Quazi’s success is a testament to the importance of nurturing young talent and recognising that there are many different ways to achieve success and fulfilment in life. Kairan Quazi, the world’s youngest SpaceX engineer, serves as proof that no dream is too big to achieve.
