The Whiz Kid: Suborno Isaac Bari Graduates High School at Age 12; Headed to NYU on Full Scholarship
- The Bangladeshi American child prodigy from Long Island, New York, has been honored by former president Barack Obama and Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi.
Suborno Isaac Bari has become the youngest student to graduate from Malverne High School in Long Island, New York. The 12-year-old Bangladeshi American will now head to New York University this fall on a full scholarship to study math and physics. He expected to earn his Bachelor’s degree at 14 and a Doctorate at 18.
Speaking to the New York Post after his graduation, Bari said he worked his “butt off” to skip multiple grades and earn a full ride from NYU. “It was easy for me to wake up every day and think, I mean, ‘Should I just stop here,'” he said. He skipped grades five through nine and grade 11th and completed his 4th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grades in Malverne Union Free School District while passing the New York State Regents examinations to graduate. He also took classes at Stony Brook University and Brooklyn College.
He told ABC News that he had an “absolutely wonderful experience” in school. He met “so many great people” and he “learned a lot in both math and science and other disciplines.” But he is “ready to move on and pursue my higher education to the best of my ability,” he added.
Bari received recognition from then-President Barack Obama for his accomplishments in math and science at age 4. Two years later, he was recognized by Harvard University for his problem-solving abilities. He is also the recipient of the ‘Global Child Prodigy Award’ from Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi.
But that’s not all. The child prodigy was accepted into New York City’s gifted and talented program. He set a world record for scoring 1500 on the SAT at age 11., and is the world’s youngest perfect scorer in AP Calculus BC. He is also a CMT Scholar at NYU Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and is a Laureate at the Da Vinci Institute, a Ph.D.-granting institution in South Africa. He is also affiliated with all 21 Indian Schools in Oman. He also lectured as a guest professor of physics at Mumbai University.
Bari is also the author of two books — “The Love” and “Manish” — both of which advocate for a world without terrorism.
His social media is filled with clips from his various television interview appearances, and well as photos with family and friends. In a Facebook post, he thanked his family for his achievements. “It would not have been possible without the hard work of my Mom, Dad and my brother,” he wrote. “For example, my dad worked for me like a cab driver: every day he drove me from Malverne High School to Stony Brook University (40 miles) and then from Stony Brook University to NYU (60 miles) and then NYU to home (20 miles),” he wrote of his father, Rashidul Bari. “Even cab drivers don’t drive 120 miles every day. Thank you, Dad.”
He has a message for young New Yorkers as well — “Work hard for your dream.” He also wants to change a few perceptions about South Asians and STEM. “Many people are doing it only because their parents said so or because engineers just make the most profit, not because they actually love what they’re doing,” he told ABC. “So I hope to fix that and help other people understand math and science and love it in all its beauty.”
(Photos: Suborno Isaac Bari Facebook)