Interviews
News Media   Feature Article
Richard Meyer's Interview of Andrew Hsu (1 Sept 2004) At Age 13, a Child Prodigy, Medical Researcher and Humanitarian
Seattle Times Feature Story on Andrew Hsu (11 April 2003) Issaquah 11-year-old Wows State Science Fair



At Age 13, a Child Prodigy, Medical Researcher and Humanitarian

At the age of 2, Andrew Hsu demonstrated his amazing attention span and problem-solving skills by assembling LEGO blocks into a robot as tall as he was. By age 5, he was already solving simple algebra problems.

At the age of 6, Hsu scored off the charts on a standard IQ test, ranking him among geniuses. By age 7, he had already become a fan of the works of Brian Jacques and JRR Tolkien.

At 11, Hsu became the youngest person to ever win the grand prize at the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair. At 12, he began studying at the University of Washington. A year later, he completed the Advanced Calculus course, earning the highest grade in his class. He is on pace to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree at the age of 14, and then obtain his first Ph.D. degree before he is even old enough to vote.

When asked how he feels about his precocious achievements, Hsu casually shrugs it off. “The bulk of the world is built by the bulk of the people,” he replies. “It is what one does that counts, not what one can do.”

Hsu cites Isaac Newton as the person he most greatly admires. “He more or less single-handedly laid out the scheme of the whole universe,” he explains. In hope of helping decipher the scheme of life, Hsu is now focusing his energy on genetics studies, specifically stem cell and RNAi (RNA interference) research, since winning first place prize in medicine two years in a row at the Washington State Science Fair.

In 2002, when Hsu was 11, he and his brother Patrick founded the World Children Organization. They have since been producing digital video programs about languages, science, and math for children.

" I can’t bear to see children in need throughout the world suffer,” Hsu says. “All they need are the basics: food, water, clothes, and education. Lots of groups are focusing on meeting their needs for food, clothing, clean water, and medical care. Some are building schools, but very few are providing the children with the education. But (education) is the only thing that will allow them to get back on their feet and make a difference in their lives, the only thing that will help them help themselves and other children in the same situation.”

“We know they desperately need qualified teachers,” Hsu explains, “so we made these programs, hoping to fill in on lack of teachers and teaching materials.” As of April of 2004, Hsu’s nonprofit organization has benefited over 3000 children in China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Nepal, the Philippines, and Ethiopia.

“World peace is the ultimate goal for the World Children Organization,” Hsu maintains.” Without education, the problems of poverty, hunger, child labor, and other abuses of children’s rights will never end, and there will never be world peace.”

After speaking with Andrew Hsu, one walks away with little doubt that his future has limitless possibilities.