14-Year-Old Kairan Quazi Joins SpaceX Team as Youngest Software Developer

Kairan Quazi, a 14-year-old student at Santa Clara University in the US, has achieved the distinction of becoming the youngest employee at Elon Musk’s SpaceX. He was able to pass a technically challenging interview to secure the position.

Quazi, who has Bangladeshi-American roots, shared the news on LinkedIn. He expressed his excitement at joining “the coolest company on the planet” and mentioned working with Starlink’s engineering team.

“I think this is my LinkedIn” I am excited to announce…; send! I graduated from Santa Clara University’s School of Engineering, where I learned that “mission planning” is not a gimmicky catchphrase. Where a culture of discipline, collaboration, responsibility and influence deeply resonates with the needs of the radically accelerated learner.

Next stop: SpaceX! I’m joining the coolest company on the planet as a software engineer on the Starlink design team. One of the few companies that didn’t use my age as an arbitrary and outdated proxy for maturity and ability,” Quazi wrote on his LinkedIn profile.

The university also confirmed on LinkedIn that it had joined SpaceX. “At just 14 years old, Kairan Quazi is the youngest graduate in Santa Clara’s 172-year history. What’s next for her? Heading to Washington state with her mother, Julia, to become SpaceX’s youngest software engineer,” Santa Clara University wrote.

While at SCU, Kairan was active in the Association for Computer Machinery and was a senior senator in the Associated Student Government. The talented 14-year-old was also in high demand as a tutor, quickly becoming one of the most sought-after members of the tutoring staff.

Quazi also said: “My early entry into transformational leadership began at the age of 9. First, when leaders at Las Positas College, a local community college, admit a third-year graduate without prior acceleration to a full-time math A.S. training program. And again, a few months later, when I walked into a meeting with Lama Nachman at Intel Labs and walked out with a generative AI opportunity that would change my career.”

He also thanked his mentors and friends. “Lama Nachman (Intel Labs), Naushad UzZaman (BLACKBIRD.AI), and Nam Ling and Ahmed Amer (Santa Clara University) – I am forever grateful that you recognized my value, trusted my abilities, and invested in my growth. I am excited to carry these cultural lessons into my career” , Quazi said.