Prodigy flies off to study at Princeton
SLOUGH: A young prodigy from Slough – who was the youngest person to receive the maximum score on a Mensa test – has been offered a scholarship to a top university in the United States.
Jasamrit Rahala, of Waterbeach Road, Slough, was just 11-years-old when he took the Mensa test in 2016. He went on to attain 12 GCSEs – including one at age 12.
Last year, Jasamrit also became a Countdown star and reached the knockout finals.
In a whirlwind, Jasamrit graduated from Eton with four A*s on results day (Thursday, August 18) and flew off to the USA that Saturday.
He will be going to the Ivy League university Princeton and will study computer science, which he hopes to use to help people and increase sustainability.
One of his projects has been a food waste bin which scans the food being thrown away – helping cut down on waste.
Father Santokh Rahala said the family wanted to show with Jasamrit’s results that ‘nothing is impossible’.
“We’re from a small working-class home. There are people in Slough who put their head down and don’t get put off by people who live in posher parts of the UK,” Santokh said.
“People think Slough’s not a good area – we’re keen to show that it is a good area, and that Slough has bright kids too.”
Jasamrit was inspired by his sister Tania, a 13-yearold
Burnham Grammar student, and how she buckled down with studying despite all the COVID disruption.
“The one thing I’d like people to realise is that even when things are difficult, support is all around. It might be something like the snacks my sister gave to me while I was studying,” Jasamrit said.
“It’s the little things that add up.”