14-year old makes Malaysian homeschoolers proud
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Announcement; Homeschooling Achievers on 7 Sep 2009.
Few people knew, the local media was silent, and the win was almost unheralded. But for 14-year old Balakrishna M Pillai, a precocious Malaysian homeschooler, it did not lessen the sweet taste of victory when he was announced a co-winner of the international Global Challenge Award in the Best Global Business Plan category.
Team leader Balakrishna and another student Ivan Duschatzky submitted a plan for a Multipurpose Electric Generator and won First Place (Best Global Business Plan) in the competition when results were announced in June this year.
Homeschooling parents who often ask about science (or, the ‘hard sciences’) will be heartened to know that Bala’s parents Murali and Juliana are hardly scientifically inclined. Both Mom and Dad are lawyers by profession.
According to its website, the nonprofit, Global Challenge Award’s mission is to “Provide Students the Tools and Confidence to Solve Global Problems Together.” Founded by Craig DeLuca, of The Arno Group in close collaboration with with Domenico Grasso of University of Vermont, College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences in 2005, the annual competition challenges students around the world to submit innovative and original ideas to solve global problems.
Award winners enjoy international travel, tuition at the Governor’s Institute on Engineering at the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences University of Vermont, and cash scholarships.
We hope to feature an interview with Bala in the near future, but meanwhile, the homeschooler is getting ready to move on. He’s put up his old physics/science books for sale (over 70 titles and magazines, all on our NOTICES September page); and he’s offering his services as a physics tutor. Bala completed the SAT last year – his very first public examination – and scored full marks in SAT II Maths and 30 marks short of a full score in SAT II Physics.
Why the tuition? Bala says he has to ‘kill time’ before he gets to a University in the US. “I see no reason why I cannot make money with my talents. I have a very expensive passion for traveling, not to mention college will cost a pretty sum too!” he adds.
Congratulations Balakrishna, and to your parents Murali and Juliana!
You can contact Balakrishna at balakrishnapillaim(at)gmail.com
4 Comments so far...
Freda Lau Says:
8 September 2009 at 10:08 pm.
Wow! This is really ‘cool’. Well done Balakrishna (and his team) and our ‘syabas’ to Murali and Juliana too!
fahima Mashoor Says:
9 September 2009 at 11:18 pm.
hey!! its awesum–i recently moved to malaysia and seriouly thinkin of homeschooling my kids–but dunno where to start-cos everyone who ask me y i havent sent my kids to a “regular”school are horrified when i say i m thinkn of homeschooling them–pls help
14-year old makes Malaysian homeschoolers proud « Learning Beyond Schooling Says:
11 September 2009 at 12:48 pm.
[...] Read the rest of the story here [...]
Mephala Says:
7 October 2009 at 1:33 am.
I have to say, this is inspiring. What a great job his parents did. He is a very lucky boy and a very brilliant one too. 
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