HW Pick: Self-Taught African Teen Wows M.I.T.

15-Year-Old Kelvin Doe is an engineering whiz living in Sierra Leone who scours the trash bins for spare parts, which he uses to build batteries, generators and transmitters. Completely self-taught, Kelvin has created his own radio station where he broadcasts news and plays music under the moniker, DJ Focus.

Kelvin became the youngest person in history to be invited to the “Visiting Practitioner’s Program” at MIT. THNKR had exclusive access to Kelvin and his life-changing journey – experiencing the US for the first time, exploring incredible opportunities, contending with homesickness, and mapping out his future.

Don’t get it twisted there are millions of Kelvin’s in Harlem and other communities. If you don’t think their is a Kelvin next door to you, that’s a lack of vision on your part.

Here is a link to the Bobby Fala track in the video on SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/karen-kilberg/kpei-ragga

Check-out David’s Crowdrise page: http://www.crowdrise.com/InnovateSalone

Photos courtesy of Adam Cohn (http://www.adamcohn.com/) and Paula Aguilera

PRODIGIES is a bi-weekly series showcasing the youngest and brightest as they challenge themselves to reach new heights and the stories behind them.

Created and produced by @radical.media, THNKR gives you extraordinary access to the people, stories, places and thinking that will change your mind.

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