Indian-American Gitanjali Rao is on ‘TIME’ cover

15-year- old Indian- American Gitanjali Rao, a “brilliant” young scientist has been named as the first-ever ‘Kid of the Year’ by the TIME magazine for her “astonishing work using technology to tackle issues ranging from contaminated drinking water to opioid addiction and cyberbullying.”

Rao was selected from a field of more than 5,000 nominees as TIME’s first-ever Kid of the Year. She was interviewed by actress and activist Angelina Jolie for the special cover which honors kids’ achievements.

I think more than anything right now, we just need to find that one thing we are passionate about and solve it. Even if it is something as small as, I want to find an easy way to pick up litter. Everything makes a difference. Don’t feel pressured to come up with something big, 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. That was my everyday goal, just to make someone happy. And it soon turned into, how can we bring positivity and community to the place we live?”

Rao is a believer in the discipline of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and works with schools, girls in STEM organizations, museums all across the world, and with other bigger organizations to run innovation workshops. Her message is, “Don’t try to fix every problem, just focus on one that excites you. If I can do it, anybody can do it.”

Many Indian celebrities have also shared their happiness and praised the young scientist for the remarkable achievement.