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At 16, this Indian-origin student is among Stony Brook’s youngest graduates
Jivan Ramesh started his undergraduate studies at age 13 and completed both degrees in just three years.
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Pranavi Sharma - Thu, 29, May 2025
- 02:51 EDT
- 12
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Jivan Ramesh. / Stony Brook
Jivan Ramesh, a 16-year-old of Indian origin, became one of Stony Brook University’s youngest-ever graduates when he received his dual degree in biochemistry and music at the university’s commencement ceremony on May 23.
Ramesh began his undergraduate studies at age 13 and completed both degrees in just three years. He told Stony Brook University that the experience still hasn’t entirely sunk in. “It honestly still feels a little bit like a dream,” he told Stony Brook University.
Before officially enrolling, Ramesh spent a year at the university as a non-matriculated student, taking college-level courses. “It was literally the start of the semester when I started doing the college courses and I realized, ‘Oh, I’m good, I can do this’,” he said.
Homeschooled before college, Ramesh said the structure helped him develop skills that proved essential at the university level. “I was able to manage my own schedule. That allowed me to keep up with extracurriculars and still get everything done. It also helped me learn how to schedule and prioritize — skills that were invaluable at Stony Brook,” he told Stony Brook University.
For the first part of his time at Stony Brook, Ramesh commuted an hour each way with the help of his parents. “They would either stay on campus or go home and come back, depending on the day,” he said. The family later moved closer to the university, making his daily schedule more manageable.
Despite the age gap, Ramesh became an active member of campus life. He joined music ensembles, worked as a peer tutor at the Academic Success and Tutoring Center (ASTC), and held leadership roles, including serving as secretary of the Broadway Orchestra and music director for the Actors Conservatory. “It’s so rewarding to help students get that little click when the idea finally slots into place,” he told Stony Brook University. “At first, it was a little nerve-wracking being younger than other students. But eventually I stopped thinking about age and just focused on what I could bring to the table.”
Ramesh said his decision to major in both biochemistry and music was driven by a personal connection. “Music has something of a healing power. I was interested in the biochemical process that results in that. That’s initially what got me into it,” he told the university. He credits his father’s background in biochemistry and his own interest in how music affects mental health.
Since 2016, Ramesh has performed with the Chinese Music Ensemble of New York in Flushing and now serves as its principal cellist. He also teaches cello, music theory and notation. At Stony Brook, he organized a performance of his original composition “Memory” with a visiting guzheng player and premiered his first electronic composition a week before graduation. “It was just such a wonderful experience to bring my work in the Chinese orchestra here to campus and help spread those ideas,” he said.
Taking on more than 20 credits per semester and enrolling in winter and summer sessions, Ramesh finished his coursework ahead of schedule. “I found organic chemistry to be really fun once I got into it,” he told Stony Brook University.
Now, with graduation behind him and his 17th birthday just days away, Ramesh is taking a short break and plans to apply for his learner’s permit. “I’ve applied to several graduate programs in music,” he said, and mentioned he’s already been asked to arrange and edit music for both a Grammy-winning fiddler and a knighted Filipino musician. He also recently took the LSAT “mostly for fun,” he said. “I did well on it. It’s good to keep options open.”
Ramesh is not yet sure where his path will lead, but he’s certain that music will remain central. “Playing and composing music go very much hand in hand,” he said. “If I didn’t play, my composition wouldn’t be what it is. And if I didn’t compose, my playing wouldn’t have as much emotion. I know both will be a part of my life no matter what I pursue.”
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