My son's video game habit worried me but it fueled his interest in coding, robots, and AI. At age 16, he won $55,000 at a science fair.

Mon, 06/17/2024 - 18:26

teenage boy in red shirt working on tiny computer and three smartphones on a white card table with small plants growing under a grow light an a white cat sitting on an armchair beside him — John Benedict Estrada works on infrared images for his science fair project.
Maria Estrada

Maria Estrada's children have collectively won over $67,000 in science fair awards.
Her son John's video games sparked his interest in AI, robotics, and electronics.
Estrada worried about his video game habit at first, but now she sees some advantages to it.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Maria Estrada, 51, who is a plant-science lecturer at Fresno State and the mother of two teenagers. It's been edited for length and clarity.