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A Young Innovator's Guide to Planning for Success

Developing an Authentic Personal Narrative for Students, Educators, and Parents

Published by Post Hill Press
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

About The Book

A Young Innovator’s Guide to Planning for Success empowers students to dream the impossible and bring it to reality—step by step.

How do you know where to start when facing the competitive atmosphere of high school?

Additionally, how do you find a balance of academics and continue to contribute to society?

High school students preparing for college can find themselves feeling lost. Balancing GPAs, AP classes, extracurriculars—and everything in between—can be overwhelming and disheartening, especially when considering statistics such as acceptance rates and standardized test scores. But recent high school graduate Gitanjali Rao is here to help students craft the perfect college portfolio as she encourages students to embrace what makes them unique, provide advice on how to plan their academic schedule to meet all the requirements for their dream school, and show them the best path to influence the world.

Future MIT Class of 2027 graduate, Gitanjali Rao, shares her insights on how every and any student can develop their authentic personal narrative and be set up for success in high school and beyond.

About The Author

Gitanjali Rao is an inventor, aspiring scientist, author, speaker, and active worldwide promoter for STEM. She was recognized as America’s Top Young Scientist and received a President’s Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for her patented invention of a lead contamination detection tool. Gitanjali is also the inventor of Epione, a device for early diagnosis of prescription opioid addiction through genetic engineering, and Kindly, an anti-cyberbullying service that uses AI and Natural Language processing.

She was honored in Forbes “30 Under 30 in Science” in 2019 and as TIME’s “Top Young Innovator” and “Kid of the Year” for her innovations and STEM workshops she conducts globally, which has inspired over 75,000 students across six continents and forty-five countries in the last three years.

In 2021, she was appointed a UNICEF Youth Advocate because of her work in using science to solve social problems such as cyberbullying and developing solutions for environmental protection. She recently received a Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for her selfless service for the Kakuma refugee camp students in Kenya.

She will be attending Massachusetts Institute of Technology starting in fall 2023.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Post Hill Press (July 18, 2024)
  • Length: 208 pages
  • ISBN13: 9798888452745

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Raves and Reviews

“A must-read for students and parents alike! As a parent, I find the book an excellent resource with practical approaches to nurturing creativity, fostering ambition and supporting our youth in their formative years. Gitanjali's insightful guidance and actionable advice provide a roadmap to students for navigating the complexities of high school and college admissions. I particularly appreciate the encouragement to engage in service to society and for empowering young minds to sustain their core passions and reach their full potential. As a scientist and a mentor, I endorse the emphasis on lifelong learning – an imperative for future leaders in our ever-evolving world.”

– Jayshree Seth, Chief Science Advocate & Corporate Scientist, 3M

“A wonderful guide to inspire students to pursue their passions while at the same time focusing on the importance of service to society. This book provides students with guidance to navigate the complex and competitive college admissions process. Working with talented STEM students for over 30 years, I am excited to see there is an option for students to have a resource that offers useful information to prepare for life in high school and beyond.”

– Ms. Maite P. Ballestero, Executive Vice President, Programs, CenterCenter for Excellence in Education (CEE) / Research Science Institute

"A Young Innovator’s Guide brilliantly navigates the intricacies of high school and college planning, empowering students with powerful strategies for academic success and personal growth. An essential read that transforms the daunting journey into an exciting roadmap for the future."

– Richard Rossi, Executive Director, The Congress of Future Medical Leaders

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