--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My high school, the Illinois Mathematics…" description: "\"My high school, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, showed me that anything is possible and that you're never too young to think big. At 15, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17e/clara-shih-16281_computer-science_my-high-school-the-illinois-mathematics_40096.jpg" --- # My high school, the Illinois Mathematics and Science… ![“My high school, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, showed me that anything is possible and that you're never too young to think big. At 15, I worked as a computer programmer at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, or Fermilab. After graduating, I attended Stanford for a degree in…” quote by Clara Shih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17e/clara-shih-16281_computer-science_my-high-school-the-illinois-mathematics_40096.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17e/clara-shih-16281_computer-science_my-high-school-the-illinois-mathematics_40096.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17e/clara-shih-16281_computer-science_my-high-school-the-illinois-mathematics_40096.jpg) > “My high school, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, showed me that anything is possible and that you're never too young to think big. At 15, I worked as a computer programmer at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, or Fermilab. After graduating, I attended Stanford for a degree in economics and computer science.” [Clara Shih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-shih/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early exposure to elite STEM environments can expand a young person's sense of possibility and ambition, showing that age is not a barrier to high-level achievement. **In simple terms:** Youthful ambition thrives in supportive, high‑caliber settings. Key Takeaway Early opportunities shape confidence and career trajectory. Themes education inspiration career development youth empowerment STEM Mood optimistic determined Type personal anecdote motivational When to use this quote - high‑school students - young programmers - college applicants Key Concepts high‑school labs national research labs interdisciplinary study Practical Applications - career counseling - STEM outreach programs Questions to Reflect On - How can schools create more high‑impact experiences for students? - What role does early mentorship play in long‑term success? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Computer science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer-science/) [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) [Mathematics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematics/) [Mathematics and science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematics-and-science/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) ## Related quotes > [Only in high school when I began programming computers, did I become interested in tech and start-ups, which led me to attend Stanford and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-shih/only-in-high-school-when-i-began-programming-computers-did-i-become/) [Clara Shih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-shih/) > [The pursuit of mathematics is a divine madness of the human spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/the-pursuit-of-mathematics-is-a-divine-madness-of-the-human-spirit/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [A mathematician is a blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat which isn't there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/a-mathematician-is-a-blind-man-in-a-dark-room-looking-for-a-black-cat/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [When you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-kelvin/when-you-can-measure-what-you-are-speaking-about-and-express-it-in/) [Lord Kelvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-kelvin/) > [In mathematics alone each generations adds a new story to the old structure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hankel/in-mathematics-alone-each-generations-adds-a-new-story-to-the-old/) Hermann Hankel > [“Non-Euclidean' became a byword for non-absolute knowledge. It also served to illustrate most vividly the gap between mathematics and the natural world. Mathematics was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-barrow/non-euclidean-became-a-byword-for-non-absolute-knowledge-it-also/) [John D. Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-barrow/) > [Mathematics is the only good metaphysics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-kelvin/mathematics-is-the-only-good-metaphysics/) [Lord Kelvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-kelvin/) > [In mathematics and science we solve our problems as well as create them. But in art and philosophy things are not so simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/in-mathematics-and-science-we-solve-our-problems-as-well-as-create/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [I am too good for philosophy and not good enough for physics. Mathematics is in between.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/i-am-too-good-for-philosophy-and-not-good-enough-for-physics/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [Theorems are fun especially when you are the prover, but then the pleasure fades. What keeps us going are the unsolved problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-pomerance/theorems-are-fun-especially-when-you-are-the-prover-but-then-the/) Carl Pomerance > [“Once, probably, I used to think that vagueness was a loftier kind of poetry, truer to the depths of consciousness, and maybe when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/once-probably-i-used-to-think-that-vagueness-was-a-loftier-kind-of/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [In mathematics and science definition are simple, but bare-bones. Until you get to a problem which you understand it takes hundreds and hundreds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benoit-mandelbrot/in-mathematics-and-science-definition-are-simple-but-bare-bones-until/) [Benoit Mandelbrot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benoit-mandelbrot/) > [Where there is matter, there is geometry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-kepler/where-there-is-matter-there-is-geometry/) [Johannes Kepler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-kepler/) > [I often say that when you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-kelvin/i-often-say-that-when-you-can-measure-what-you-are-speaking-about-and/) [Lord Kelvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-kelvin/) > [Mathematics - the unshaken Foundation of Sciences, and the plentiful Fountain of Advantage to human affairs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-barrow/mathematics-the-unshaken-foundation-of-sciences-and-the-plentiful/) [Isaac Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-barrow/) ## More by Clara Shih > [Social media provides the modern-day version of mystery shopping and walking the halls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-shih/social-media-provides-the-modern-day-version-of-mystery-shopping-and/) [Clara Shih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-shih/) > [With new technologies promising endless conveniences also comes new vulnerabilities in terms of privacy and security. And nobody is immune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-shih/with-new-technologies-promising-endless-conveniences-also-comes-new/) [Clara Shih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-shih/) > [Looking back at my first job, even when I was asked to do something seemingly menial, unglamorous, or very difficult, I always went all-in.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-shih/looking-back-at-my-first-job-even-when-i-was-asked-to-do-something/) [Clara Shih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-shih/) > [Only in high school when I began programming computers, did I become interested in tech and start-ups, which led me to attend Stanford and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-shih/only-in-high-school-when-i-began-programming-computers-did-i-become/) [Clara Shih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-shih/) > [I believe that rather than it being a case of humans versus machines, the future of financial advice more likely lies somewhere in between,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-shih/i-believe-that-rather-than-it-being-a-case-of-humans-versus-machines/) [Clara Shih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-shih/) > [I was born in Hong Kong and immigrated to the United States with my family when I was 4. I spent most of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-shih/i-was-born-in-hong-kong-and-immigrated-to-the-united-states-with-my/) [Clara Shih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-shih/) > [Companies can't delegate social media to the new college grad and think they have it covered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-shih/companies-can-t-delegate-social-media-to-the-new-college-grad-and/) [Clara Shih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-shih/) > [Strong emotional connections between individuals, customers, and salespeople that trust each other will always be 10 times more powerful than the most expensive ad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-shih/strong-emotional-connections-between-individuals-customers-and/) [Clara Shih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-shih/) > [Many companies talk about customer success, but how many actually put the customer first above all else, always?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-shih/many-companies-talk-about-customer-success-but-how-many-actually-put/) [Clara Shih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-shih/) > [There is, in fact, nothing easy about being an entrepreneur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-shih/there-is-in-fact-nothing-easy-about-being-an-entrepreneur/) [Clara Shih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-shih/) > [Like many of my fellow entrepreneurs, I didn't create Hearsay Social with my co-founder Steve Garrity because it would be fun and easy, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-shih/like-many-of-my-fellow-entrepreneurs-i-didn-t-create-hearsay-social/) [Clara Shih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-shih/) > [If there can be three certain things in life, instead of two, it might be death, taxes, and data.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-shih/if-there-can-be-three-certain-things-in-life-instead-of-two-it-might/) [Clara Shih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-shih/) > [When startups succeed, they do so against all odds. In the beginning, you have nothing except for your own talents and resources. By definition,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-shih/when-startups-succeed-they-do-so-against-all-odds-in-the-beginning/) [Clara Shih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-shih/) > [Though decisions regarding work/life balance are important and vary widely from person to person, it may not be wise in the long run to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-shih/though-decisions-regarding-work-life-balance-are-important-and-vary/) [Clara Shih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-shih/) > [I wrote 'The Facebook Era' because I felt like it needed to be written, and I was one of the people who might be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-shih/i-wrote-the-facebook-era-because-i-felt-like-it-needed-to-be-written/) [Clara Shih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-shih/) [Explore all 40 Clara Shih quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-shih/) ## More Computer science quotes > [It's interesting that the greatest minds of computer science, the founding fathers, like Alan Turing and Claude Shannon and Norbert Wiener, they all looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/it-s-interesting-that-the-greatest-minds-of-computer-science-the/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [We need policymakers to keep an eye on gender and write policies that are explicitly designed to include underserved populations like girls in computer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reshma-saujani/we-need-policymakers-to-keep-an-eye-on-gender-and-write-policies-that/) [Reshma Saujani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reshma-saujani/) > [I shopped at J. Crew in high school, I studied computer science. I was a nerd-nerd, now I'm a music-nerd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayer-hawthorne/i-shopped-at-j-crew-in-high-school-i-studied-computer-science-i-was-a/) [Mayer Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayer-hawthorne/) > [Computer Science is a science of abstraction -creating the right model for a problem and devising the appropriate mechanizable techniques to solve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-aho/computer-science-is-a-science-of-abstraction-creating-the-right-model/) Alfred Aho > [I was on this path to becoming a computer-science guy, but I didn't like it. I got no joy from it. It was very,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/i-was-on-this-path-to-becoming-a-computer-science-guy-but-i-didn-t/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [I think that it's extraordinarily important that we in computer science keep fun in computing. When it started out, it was an awful lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-perlis/i-think-that-it-s-extraordinarily-important-that-we-in-computer/) [Alan Perlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-perlis/) > [I went to Drexel University, majored in computer science. Drexel has a great program - they call it co-op - but its, like, mandatory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gruber/i-went-to-drexel-university-majored-in-computer-science-drexel-has-a/) [John Gruber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gruber/) > [“I think that it’s extraordinarily important that we in computer science keep fun in computing. When it started out it was an awful lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-j-perlis/i-think-that-it-s-extraordinarily-important-that-we-in-computer-2/) [Alan J. Perlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-j-perlis/) > [I think the combination of graduate education in a field like Computer Science and the opportunity to apply this in a work environment like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satya-nadella/i-think-the-combination-of-graduate-education-in-a-field-like/) [Satya Nadella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satya-nadella/) > [A number of people who are interested in computers in this lifetime programmed computers in Atlantis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/a-number-of-people-who-are-interested-in-computers-in-this-lifetime/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edsger-dijkstra/computer-science-is-no-more-about-computers-than-astronomy-is-about/) [Edsger Dijkstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edsger-dijkstra/) > [Computer Science is the only discipline in which we view adding a new wing to a building as being maintenance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-horning/computer-science-is-the-only-discipline-in-which-we-view-adding-a-new/) [Jim Horning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-horning/) > [We are lucky in the United States to have our liberal arts system. In most countries, if you go to university, you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-c-nussbaum/we-are-lucky-in-the-united-states-to-have-our-liberal-arts-system-in/) [Martha C. Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-c-nussbaum/) > [“We will start by sketching the recursive algorithm and then add details to get to a full description of the algorithm. Footnote : Translation:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sariel-har-peled/we-will-start-by-sketching-the-recursive-algorithm-and-then-add/) Sariel Har-Peled > [Computer science really involves the same mindset, particularly artificial intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/computer-science-really-involves-the-same-mindset-particularly/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) [Browse all 280 Computer science quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer-science/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My high school, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, showed me that anything is possible and that you're never too young to think big. At 15, I worked as a computer programmer at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, or Fermilab. 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