Time Magazine has named 15-year-old Gitanjali Rao as its first-ever Kid of the Year.
The Indian-American teenager from Colorado was chosen for her work using technology to tackle issues ranging from contaminated drinking water to opioid addiction and cyberbullying, reports PTI.
She was selected from more than 5,000 nominees to be nominated as the first-ever Kid of the Year by the magazine, which has been announcing a Person of the Year for 92 years.
The recognition in the US, in partnership with Nickelodeon, is a barometer for the rising leaders of America’s youngest generation, the magazine said.
Actor and activist Angelina Jolie conducted a virtual interview of the teenager from her home in Colorado, US on behalf of the Time magazine.
While speaking with Jolie, Rao said about her process: “Observe, brainstorm, research, build and communicate."
The aspiring scientist said from a very young age she started thinking about using science and technology to bring about a social change in the global dynamics.
She said she was 10 when she told her parents that she wanted to research carbon nanotube sensor technology at the Denver Water Quality Research Lab.
Rao said there are many problems her generation is seeing, that had never been seen before.
She pointed out that even though there are new problems in society like the Covid-19 pandemic, old problems like human-rights issues still persist.
There are problems that we did not create but that we now have to solve, like climate change and cyberbullying with the introduction of technology," she said.
When asked when she knew that science was her passion, Rao said she always wanted to put a smile on someone’s face.
