HE is still yet to finish secondary school, but Sambavan Jeyakumar has already had a taste for success at the prestigious Harvard University in the United States, topping a course at a residential summer school earlier this month.
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Currently in Year 11 at The Armidale School, the son of a local doctor was one of just five Australians accepted into the school at the university in Massachusetts, which ran from June 25 to July 7.
At the suggestion of his elder sister, he applied on the strength of coming second in the NSW Brain Bee Challenge last year which won him a scholarship to study medicine at Western Sydney University.
Harvard not only offered him a place, but paid all costs except the return air fare.
“My first choice was a course related to medicine, but they were all full as I was one of the last to apply,” he said.
“So I instead chose psychology.
“In particular I was interested in how the brain functions and changes under stress – not a bad thing to know as I prepare for my HSC.”
Each day Mr Jeyakumar and 19 others from various countries and across the United States attended a three hour lecture followed by more than that in homework, the group working collaboratively.
“The aim was to compress a good deal of first year uni work in to two busy weeks, giving participants a taste of academic life at Harvard,” Mr Jeyakumar said.
“I really liked the atmosphere, working together with people from all over the world.”
While they were only marked as receiving a pass or fail, students were given their rankings once they had returned home.
Mr Jeyakumar said he was surprised and humbled when he discovered he had topped his class.
Between classes, they attended talks on non-related topics including concussion in sport and co-curricular club life, attended a Boston Red Sox baseball game, and of course enjoyed all the fun of the 4th of July holiday.
“It was an incredible experience,” Mr Jeyakumar said.
“Harvard is just insane, it so magnificent.
“If I do go there, it will be as a post-graduate.
“After I hopefully study medicine at a university in Sydney first.”