HIS offer of a place at Stanford University, complete with a scholarship, is more than a dream come true for Mikhail Grant. It’s also the beginning of his journey to becoming a chemical engineer.

“I want to help in the development of new ways to control greenhouse gases and new technologies… We need to find new ways to develop, maintain and minimise the release of our greenhouse gases,” the 18-year-old told Career & Education, adding that he was both relieved and excited at the chance to make this happen, courtesy of the scholarships he has been offered.

“I feel satisfied knowing that I have worked hard to achieve this over the years,” said Grant, who earlier this year scored a 2280 on his scholastic aptitude test (SAT), which helped to secure him his place at Stanford.

He was also offered a place at Princeton University, Harvey Mudd College, Reed College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute — and scholarships to attend them all.

“I have chosen to attend Stanford University for several reasons. First, I want to become a chemical engineer and I believe they have the strongest chemical engineering department. It is unique and the education I will receive from Stanford will give me a deep and broader understanding of science,” Grant said, noting his rationale for settling on Stanford.

He added that he had also chosen Stanford because of their diverse cultural offerings.

Meanwhile, Grant explained how he came to do so well on his SAT examinations, noting that it is possible for other students to follow in his footsteps.

“I did several practice tests a day, and winding down to the exams, I would do three a day. I studied each day from September and I studied at least 20 SAT words per day. I practised some essays and asked my teachers at school to look over them,” said the youth, who is the youngest of his parents’ six children.

“I am self-motivated so I pushed myself to get where I wanted to be. There were times when my parents were there to push me, (but) most of it was on me to push myself,” he added.

Still, Grant has a history of excellence in academics. He earned eight distinctions at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examinations in biology, chemistry, English language, English literature, French, information technology, mathematics, physics, and Spanish.

This outstanding performance resulted in him receiving the Top Male Award for Campion College’s graduating class of 2009. He was later offered a place in the institution’s sixth form.

In 2010, Grant also received distinctions in unit one of the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination. The subjects included biology, communications studies, chemistry, French, physics, and pure mathematics.

The youth is also involved in several extra-curricular activities. He is the assistant chief editor of The Student Voice, which operates his school’s web-based newspaper. A prefect and assembly monitor, he is also a part of Campion’s ministry outreach programme, the sixth form association, the debating society, the science club, and the gourmet club.