When Jay Iyer was 4 years old, he spent his afternoons following his grandpa, Mani, around the garden. Mani grew spice plants like red chili peppers, which he used when cooking traditional Indian food.
But Mani gave his grandson more than a cooking lesson. He taught Jay about biology, photosynthesis, and why certain plants grow better than others. Mani gave him the gift of knowledge and fostered the young boy’s love of science that continues to grow today.
Jay is now a 17-year-old senior at Baton Rouge Magnet High School with an 11-page resume. It’s filled with perfect GPA and ACT scores, lists of leadership roles in science clubs at school, multiple first-place awards, nonprofit startups and volunteer positions.