The wunderkind universe
CHENNAI: Sitting sluggish during the pandemic or otherwise was not on the agenda for 14-year-old Hasini Lakshmi Narayanan. With the biting urge to do something productive, her plan of shooting videos of young achievers on YouTube in June 2020 transformed into a book First Step. The self-proclaimed hyperactive teenager became one of the youngest authors in Chennai.
A mere year later, Hasini made history once again last Saturday by releasing a second, titled Whizz Kids, at Guru Nanak College in Velachery. The author says it offers valuable lessons from 20 “little legends”.
No shortcut to hard work
Is there a formula for success? Naturals Salon & Spa CEO CK Kumaravel, part of the panel launching Whizz Kids shares one to becoming a genius with the crowd of students and it includes focus, daily improvement, and time. The businessman adds that Hasini’s success lies in the fact that she has helped others excel. Eliciting laughs from the audience, Kumaravel says, “Yesterday’s success will not get today’s applause, what are you doing today?” He points out there is a need to see many more young neighbourhood role models.
Beseeching the audience to read more books, CEO of Emerald Publishers Olivannan Gopalakrishnan says “Go beyond your academics and read 10 pages of a book. You’ll change at least one per cent. One year later, you will be enriched and five years later, you’ll have such wisdom.”
He laughingly guaranteed that the students in the auditorium would be grateful for this event if they followed his advice.
Winds of Change
Narrating his harrowing story from being a dropout to being an IRS officer, K Nandakumar says there are manidhaars all around us who want to help, and determination counts. A talented singer, he serenades the crowd with Netru Illatha Matram (What is this change which wasn’t there yesterday?) proving that anyone can change, if they put in the effort. He adds that any remarkable book which draws tears from the writer will inevitably draw tears from the reader.
A book cannot be just about writing, says chairman of Ethiraj College for Women VM Muralidharan. “It’s the ability to be where you need to be and evangelise information…Every seed can be a phenomenal plant and a tree. But it’s those times when we give it the right prop,” he shares. He stressed the need to be conscious of improving every day, and constantly being inspired.
Dr Shravesh, 9-year-old marathon runner
Having conquered over 7,000+ km till now, he went from taking his first steps to running at the age of three. Dr Sharvesh has participated in over 142 marathon events, 178 virtual marathon events, and 68 ultra-challenge running events. The child also earned an honorary doctorate from the Shree Rudraksha Arts and Dance University.
1. ShaRvanth S 13-year-old author
This Class 8 book wizard has his nose in paperbacks and loves to explore the world of technology. The teenager, who has read over 300 books, is a content writer at First Steps and Wizkidscarnival. At the age of 11, he penned his first detective novel The Abysmal Thief and Other Stories.
Book recommendations: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari, Hardy Boys by Edward Stratemeyer
2. Vaimithra Chandrasehar 14-year-old author
The student of the Saveetha Pupil Eco School wrote her first collection of short stories Take a Break at the age of seven. Since that tender age, she has authored four books and the third book was nominated for the Author Elite Award. Her craft is not restricted to words as she dabbles in theatre and music production, painting, and crochet.
Book recommendation: Eat That Frog: A Practical Approach to Reaching Your Goals by Brian Tracey
3. Hayan Abdullah 11-year-old chef
Helping his mother in the kitchen, the Class 5 student unlocked a passion for the art of cooking at the age of three. As a 5-year-old, Hayan started a YouTube channel called Hayan Delicacy. By the age of 9, he set a new record in the Asian Book of Records and Indian Book of Records for cooking up 172 dishes in around 60 minutes.
Book recommendation: Dog Man by Dav Pilkey
4. Hasini LakshmiNarayanan 14-year-old author, public speaker
This self-proclaimed hyperactive teen launched ‘First Step’ an organisation that deals with youth empowerment three years ago. The lockdown spurred her creativity promoting two books: First Step and Whizz Kids.
How do you manage time: Hasini admits that time management is still a question in her books but her line of thought is to prioritise what you want to do.
Book recommendation: You Too Can by Prakash Iyer and Ikigai: The Japanese Secret To A Long and Happy Life by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles.
5. Keshika Manohar a 14-year-old entrepreneur & emcee
With her lockdown project, K’s Kitchen, Keshika delivers sumptuous cakes and goodies to your doorstep and runs a YouTube channel. A glance through social media influencers’ posts shows a knack for dappankuthu and a love for animals. She is the founder of Heaven for Animals (HFA) which feeds almost 4,000+ stray dogs daily, apart from conducting free vaccination.
How do you manage academics and leisure: Keshika shifted from the CBSE syllabus to NIOS open schooling and this allows a more flexible schedule.
6. Vinusha MK 13-year-old baker
The Class 7 student of the Ology Tech School believes that desserts served with delight can enlighten any soul. Apart from establishing ‘Four Seasons Pastry’ at the age of nine in 2019, Vinusha is a reader and enjoys drawing. Always curious about the entrepreneur, aims to conquer the baking world, and for her brand to emerge as the number one brand.
Book recommendation: The Curious Marketer: Expeditions in Branding and Consumer Behaviour by Harish Bhat
7. Krithik Vijayakumar 17-year-old roboteer
With his company Futura Robotics, Krithik teaches young students about robotics and technology. With an eye for research and an aim to make concepts easier, he is rebuilding products that are complex in the market. The CTO at First Step is a roboteer, coder, and Android app developer.
How do you manage academics and leisure: Studied in school and did extracurriculars at home or during holidays
8. Barath Kumaar TR 16-year-old digital marketer
The Sivakasi native runs a young digital marketing firm and has completed over 200+ courses including ones from IBM and Google. He has also delivered over 50+ coaching classes in his school. He has crafted an app similar to that of Amazon, one place for all needs.
Book recommendation: Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear