A math phenom, a celebrated artist, a varsity swimmer and water polo player, a Latin and Greek scholar, a Harvard Book Prize winner—what an amazing group of teens, right? Wrong. That list describes just one of our 2024 Teens to Watch. Andrew Tu, the teen in question (the question being: How on earth?), might feel special for the mention here, but honestly, all of these ten superstars are a multihyphenates of mind-boggling proportions. And not only do they do it all, they do it all with heart.
They build computers from scratch, start robotics clubs for younger kids and help the elderly with tech tasks. They go to Juilliard on weekends, break Guinness Book records and raise tens of thousands of dollars for children in need. They conduct sophisticated scientific research with college professors, publish in scholarly journals and break down barriers in sports.
In short, they give us hope. Read on to be reassured that the future of our community and the planet is in good hands.
PARKER HAYASHI
King School
Abudding cancer researcher and computer scientist, tennis enthusiast, musician and volunteer, Parker Hayashi raises the bar on work ethic. The senior at King School has spent two summers interning as a research assistant at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, studying non-small cell lung cancer with the aid of machine learning. Through the two-year ASPIRE program at King, Parker has presented research and competed at scientific competitions, earning recognition for findings on gene mutations linked to metastasis in this form of cancer.
His motivation? “My grandfather is a lung cancer survivor,” says Parker, who is eager to make an impact on the world and help people. He used his “passion for computer science, machine learning and AI” in his work.
For parents worried about their kids’ obsessions with video games, never fear. “Growing up, I, like a lot of kids my age, was very interested in video games,” says Parker, “and along with that came an interest in computers. In sixth grade I started building gaming computers. That was really the root of my passion for AI and programming. I realized how big the possibilities are.”
For those worried about AI, Parker’s insight is reassuring. “Those worries have merit,” he admits. “AI has potential to be an incredibly powerful tool, and it already is. But with proper regulation, we can definitely minimize these threats. Overall, AI has more positive than negative potential.” He adds, “Whether you like it or not, it’s going to play a big role in my generation’s lives.”
When not in a lab or with his nose in a book, Parker is on the tennis court. “I really enjoy competing. The feeling of winning a really tough match is very rewarding,” says the varsity team member. He also has been playing electric guitar for nine years and heads the Project Music Club, a program that supports under-resourced students in the Stamford community with academics
and music.
As if that isn’t already a full modern-Renaissance-man schedule, Parker serves as leader of the Japanese Exchange Club, volunteers as a tech support assistant helping elders at the Greenwich Library and is a member of the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Affinity Group, Frog Conservation program, Robotics Club, Investment Club and Math Team.
Q&A
WHAT IS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE YOU HAVE OVERCOME?
My grandfather passed away from Covid in August of 2021, when I was going into high school, which was already a big transition. That taught me how life can change in an instant and how I should value every minute I have with friends and family. It also inspired me to work hard to make my family proud.
WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR FRESHMAN SELF?
To study harder and work on my tennis more. First semester, I didn’t know how everything worked. I was confused. I would tell my freshman self that everything is going to be OK; just work hard. With tennis, I think my game would have benefitted if I had taken it more seriously then.
which TEACHER HAD THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON YOU?
My math teacher, Victoria Khiznichenko. We students call her Dr. K. She was my math teacher in seventh, tenth and eleventh grade, so I’ve known her a very long time. She’s not exactly the easiest teacher. She assigns a lot of homework, which I would work on for hours, late into the night. Completing every assignment thoroughly brought me a lot of success. I don’t have to put in work outside of that. She taught me about quality over quantity, about perseverance and hard work.
WORDS TO LIVE BY?
Roger Federer: “There is no way around the hard work. Embrace it.” This is how I like to live every single day. It’s the best way to extract the most value out of the one life you have.