Engineering the Curve

At an age when most students are just beginning high school, Abrahim Jalil, 14, is already a Biomedical Engineering student at Lawrence Technological University.

Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, to immigrant parents from Iraq during their first year in the United States, Jalil grew up bilingual in English and Arabic. He was immersed in a household that valued education, discipline, and opportunity. From an early age, his curiosity stood out as a sustained drive to understand how things work and how knowledge can be used to help others.

“I’ve always been curious about how things work, and how learning can actually be used to help people,” Jalil said. “My goal is to help people.”

That drive shows up everywhere in his life.

Discipline in Motion

Since the age of six, Jalil has played soccer, developing focus, resilience, and teamwork on the field. Off the field, he gravitates toward strategy and logic through chess and finds deep satisfaction in tutoring and helping others succeed in math, an early reflection of his instinct to teach, lead, and serve.

“Soccer taught me discipline and teamwork, and tutoring showed me how good it feels to help someone finally understand something,” he said.

His academic path advanced just as intentionally.

After completing his freshman and sophomore years at Star International Academy, Jalil transitioned to online learning through Michigan Cyber Academy for his junior and senior studies. The shift required self-motivation, discipline, and strong time management skills. Balancing multiple classes at once, he learned how to set goals, manage deadlines, and take full ownership of his education. These habits now define his approach to college-level work at LTU.

Finding LTU Before Finding His Major

Long before taking a full load of 17 credits in January 2026, Jalil was already discovering LTU.

For two consecutive summers, he attended LTU’s summer programs, completing five courses across a wide range of subjects, from entrepreneurship to cybersecurity. The experience exposed him to diverse disciplines while making LTU’s campus feel familiar, accessible, and inspiring.

It was during those summers that something clicked. Walking through campus, he encountered posters and student projects from the biomedical engineering program, work that blended medicine, technology, and real-world impact. He was immediately drawn to the field. Biomedical Engineering represented the intersection of everything he cared about: problem-solving, innovation, and helping people.

At this moment, the idea of majoring in biomedical engineering took hold.

“When I saw the biomedical engineering projects on campus, it all clicked,” he said. “It combined medicine, engineering, and real-world impact in a way that immediately made sense to me. I’m particularly interested in prosthetics.”

Putting Theory to Practice

Enrolled in January at just 14 years old, he is thriving in an environment built for students who want more than theory alone. He chose LTU for its low student-to-faculty ratio, which allows for meaningful engagement with professors, and for its emphasis on integrating LTU’s motto of “Theory and Practice,” a balance he saw as essential to his growth. Learning concepts in the classroom and applying them in real-world contexts confirmed LTU was the right place for him.

“Jalil’s decision to join our program is both a testament to his drive and a great addition to our high-achieving dynamic student body,” said Yawen Li, associate professor and department chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering in LTU’s College of Engineering. “We are happy to support him in his academic pursuit, translating his talent into real-world impact. LTU’s biomedical engineering program is an ideal place for him to build a strong academic foundation and clinically relevant project experience toward his goal of pursuing medicine. Faculty in our program are not only accomplished experts in their fields, but also are passionate about undergraduate education and training. He joins a close-knit learning community with dedicated faculty mentorship and hands-on project opportunities to both challenge and support him.”

Beyond academics, he values the campus itself. Collaborative lounges throughout LTU’s buildings offer spaces to study, think, connect, and recharge. These environments create focus, creativity, and community, qualities that make the university feel both rigorous and welcoming.

His academic achievements already reflect his exceptional ability. At 14, Abraham earned a 790 on the math section of his first SAT exam, placing him in the 99th percentile worldwide. He approaches learning with curiosity and adaptability, often using emerging technologies, including AI-based tools, to better understand complex subjects like chemistry, always seeking clarity, not shortcuts.

Engineering a Future in Medicine

Looking ahead, Jalil’s goals are clear and ambitious. He plans to complete his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering then pursue medical school, combining engineering innovation with compassionate care. His long-term vision is rooted in service, using science and medicine to improve lives and make a meaningful impact.

For Jalil, LTU is more than a university. It is where curiosity turned into commitment, preparation met opportunity, and a 14-year-old found a place designed to challenge him and help him become who he already knows he wants to be.

“LTU is where I’m building the foundation for the future I want,” he said. “More than anything, I want to use what I learn to help people and make a real difference.”