Tejasvi Manoj, a 17-year-old senior at Lebanon Trail High School in Frisco, Texas, has been named the 2025 TIME Kid of the Year for her innovative work protecting seniors from online scams.
Out of 74 million children in the U.S., Manoj stood out for creating Shield Seniors, a website designed to help older adults identify and report fraudulent emails and texts.
The spark for Shield Seniors ignited in February 2024, when Manoj, then a 16-year-old junior, learned that her 85-year-old grandfather had nearly fallen victim to an email spoofing scam requesting $2,000. Her father intervened, confirming with her uncle that the request was fraudulent. Alarmed by the incident, Manoj researched cybercrime and discovered that scams targeting seniors caused nearly $5 billion in losses in 2024, according to FBI data cited by TIME.
Determined to act, Manoj built Shield Seniors, a site that allows users to upload suspicious messages for analysis and provides links to report fraud. Still in private preview mode pending further development and funding, the website has already earned her an honorable mention in the 2024 Congressional App Challenge. Manoj has also delivered a TEDx talk in Plano and spoken at local senior living facilities about cybercrime prevention.
“I remember going to my first seminar, and I was super nervous,” Manoj told TIME. “What if no one shows up? What if I totally mess up?”
Her fears were unfounded.
“There were so many people who were really interested — taking notes on their notepads, which was really nice. At the end, some of them came up to me with questions, and I was able to help them.”
Manoj’s coding skills, honed since eighth grade through cybersecurity classes, Girls Who Code programs, and the Cyber-Patriot initiative, were critical to building Shield Seniors. She also attended a 2024 Mark Cuban AI Bootcamp, enhancing her expertise in Java, Python, and HTML.
“I really love the fact that you can solve problems with your computer, and I really like creating,” she told TIME.
Beyond her tech achievements, Manoj is an Eagle Scout, plays violin in her school orchestra, and volunteers extensively. She serves on the North Texas Food Bank Young Advocates Council, packs meals for TangoTab, and tutors Bhutanese refugees in math and English through Vibha.
“I started volunteering in sixth grade,” she said. “I think it’s really important; if you’re lucky yourself, you want to make sure other people feel loved and lucky too.”
Manoj’s work has drawn praise from mentors like Tiffani Martin, founder of Dallas-based VisioTech, who worked with her at The GEMS Camp.
“Honestly, I wouldn’t mind working for her one day and having her as my boss because that’s exactly the kind of leader she already is,” Martin posted on LinkedIn.
“Texas is home to bright young leaders like Tejasvi Manoj of Frisco,” Gov. Greg Abbott posted on X. “Tejasvi truly embodies the Texas spirit—grit, innovation, and service.”
“Big news! One of our 2024 Mark Cuban AI Bootcamp students just became Time’s 2025 Kid of the Year,” the Bootcamp organization posted on social media.“Tejasvi Manoj is showing the world what we already knew: the future belongs to young innovators. We couldn’t be prouder!”
Manoj’s website, Shield Seniors, aims to empower seniors, reducing the stigma of being scammed.
“This is supposed to bring people a sense of ‘You’re not alone,’” Manoj told TIME. “A lot of people are embarrassed that they got scammed, but this isn’t something you should be embarrassed about. It’s just a learning experience. You should report it to help make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else.”
Manoj is the first North Texas student to earn the TIME Kid of the Year title since 2021, when Mansfield’s Orion Jean was recognized for his humanitarian efforts. She is also the first TIME Kid of the Year to be named a TIME for Kids Service Star, highlighting her broader commitment to community impact.