When Yaphet Yonas (RICH5) first learned about The Hidden Genius Project from his cousin, he dismissed the idea of joining. His reason? He ”had no interest in computers.” His friends stepped in and let him know the program offered much more. Fast-forward through his 15-month experience, Yaphet earned the 2022 Baba Eugene Lemon Award for Outstanding Technology Projects. Now entering his senior year at Salesian College Preparatory, he shares how he’s stayed connected with The Hidden Genius Project and his plans to pursue a degree in electrical engineering.
How have you’ve been?
I’ve been well. I am finishing my junior year of high school and feel excited to go to college. Though I still have one more year left I have my eyes set on college and my application process. I plan to apply to UC Berkeley, UCLA, and CalTech. I am not yet sure which college I want to attend if I do get accepted, but I hope to pursue a career in electrical engineering. I have not worked my junior year, but I plan to work for the majority of my senior year with The Hidden Genius Project working on curriculum and research. I do hope to apply for some internships, in the field of STEM, but nothing is confirmed. I still feel like a freshman in many ways, but in reality, I am entering my final year of high school. It was a fun 4 years and I’d say I did well to prepare for college and life. Because I challenged myself with college level classes and did many extracurricular activities in the field I want to study in college, I feel confident about my future.
How did you first learn about The Hidden Genius Project?
I first learned about The Hidden Genius Project from my older cousin, but I immediately dismissed it because I had no interest in computers. It took two of my friends who told me about it to convince me to apply. They let me know The Hidden Genius Project is more than just computers and that you could get paid for doing work. After hearing how fun it sounded I applied, but was still hesitant about the whole 15-month immersion commitment. By the end I could not be more thankful to the people who convinced me to participate as it opened my eyes to what I wanted to study in college: electrical engineering.
What was your experience in the program like?
Joining The Hidden Genius Project was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It opened my eyes to what I wanted to pursue in college and as an adult. It inspired me to want to become an engineer and create more things. One of the projects I worked on with The Hidden Genius Project was a home security kit. It taught me all about coding sensors and electronics. I had so much fun tinkering with it I thought that it was something I would like to pursue further, engineering, but more specifically electrical engineering.
The Hidden Genius Project also gave me something to do while in lockdown. The best part is that they let you decide what projects you want to do. The tracks allow for different people to learn about what they want to learn about. For me, my favorite was creating a self-driving car. During my final summer I spent most of my time occupied with this one project. I did end up challenging myself with this project, since I had no prior experience with artificial intelligence (A.I.), the core part of the project. So, I had to learn the concepts and how A.I. works while also coding it. It worked out because I spent numerous hours watching videos and learning the fundamentals of how it worked.
Describe the project you worked on during your time in the Intensive Immersion Program.
My final project was a car that could drive itself in a simulation. It works the same way that self-driving cars do, but only the software side of it. I had to learn about how to create A.I. in order to begin this project, but once it was over I created something cool that could hopefully be applied to an actual car sometime. Despite the A.I. track being new at the time, I did have a lot of guidance from mentors which made it a lot easier to work through any problems that came up. Because of my work, I was awarded the Baba Lemon Award and got me recognition in the Richmond Standard. It felt great that something I had worked on all summer was recognised and awarded the way it was. The main issue with the project was that A.I., especially at the time I was in the program, was still very new so resources and knowledge in the field were a lot fewer which made dealing with bugs really troublesome.
How is The Hidden Genius Project different from other mentorship or training experiences that you have been involved in?
The Hidden Genius Project is way longer than any other training experience I have done, but because of that it had a bigger impact on me. It set me on a good path and even provided me with the opportunity to work with them as a Youth Educator. Another difference with The Hidden Genius Project compared to other programs is that they stay very connected with their alumni. Most other training courses never stay involved with their graduates, but The Hidden Genius Project even after graduation reaches out to alumni for scholarship and work opportunities. They take care of their people even after the Intensive Immersion Program ends.
What specific skills learned in The Hidden Genius Project have been most beneficial for you?
In The Hidden Genius Project, I learned the value of work ethic. Work ethic has benefitted me a lot in high school, being the reason why I currently have a high GPA. It also helped me balance school, sports, and extracurricular activities. While the 15-month program was a challenge at times, it helped me learn the value of work ethic and hard work.
Another skill I gained was problem solving. A lot of computer programming is problem solving, and improving that ability in The Hidden Genius Project made school easier. Math, language, and science all require some degree of problem solving, and especially in science and math developing that ability can really help out in those classes. But ultimately, The Hidden Genius Project is more than just computer programming and entrepreneurship, they teach you lessons that will get you far in life.
What was the most important thing you gained on a personal level (development, relationship, community, etc.) from participating in The Hidden Genius Project?
With The Hidden Genius Project, I gained a community that is always there if you ever need anything. Need college help? They got you. Looking for a job or internship? They got you. Need a recommendation letter for college? They got you. Most of the opportunities I have gotten are through The Hidden Genius Project. Without them, I wouldn’t have had a cool job working as a Youth Educator teaching and mentoring kids, I would not be as confident in what I want to do in the future, and I would not have been provided so many opportunities that make achieving my goals so much easier.
Compared to younger me, I have a lot more drive and a goal that I have my sights set for. The Hidden Genius Project allowed me to discover what I wanted to do in the future as an engineer. They helped me set a plan for my future that the younger me did not have. In addition to helping me towards my goals, I worked with The Hidden Genius Project last year as a Youth Educator and took some alumni courses as well. One of the alumni courses I took was an extra A.I. course that comes with payment and a certificate. I will be working with them again throughout the year as well, working more on the curriculum and developing technologies with the head of the A.I. track, Démetrious Brown. I hope to improve the curriculum at The Hidden Genius Project and further my knowledge in the fields I have interests in such as A.I. and electrical engineering.
In what ways has the staff of The Hidden Genius Project stayed connected / continued to support you since graduating from the program?
As of now, I work with them as an Alumni Youth Educator. I also receive college advising help from the alumni engagement team. One of the college advisors, Andrew Pope, sent a multitude of opportunities for other extracurricular activities and scholarships my way. I had the opportunity to participate in an on-campus 2-week camp this year at UC Berkeley because of his help. I got to meet professors at UC Berkeley and even pitch a startup to well-established entrepreneurs.
If you could talk to yourself just before you applied, what is one thing you would say?
Participate in The Hidden Genius Project and learn as much as you can from it. Always go the extra mile and try to thoroughly understand everything.
What words of encouragement do you have for future Geniuses?
The 15-month program may seem like a lot, but the experience and the pay are well worth it. Also, it’s way more than just computers, you can pursue whatever you like there.
Since 2012, nearly 11,400 students have revealed their genius through our Immersion, Catalyst, and Community Partner Programs, and so many more are waiting to shine.
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