OMARI PRATT, RICH5

Omari Pratt, a Hidden Genius Alum of our Richmond Cohort 5 (RICH5), entered The Hidden Genius Project with curiosity about coding, but quickly discovered a much deeper experience rooted in brotherhood, leadership, and personal growth. During his time in our Intensive Immersion Program, Omari found confidence through meaningful conversations, collaborative learning, and hands-on technology projects that challenged him to think bigger about his future and his potential. What began as an introduction to coding evolved into a stronger sense of purpose, inspiring him to pursue ambitious goals and believe in possibilities that once felt out of reach. Today, as an 18-year-old Chemistry major at Morehouse College with aspirations to work in the nuclear power industry, Omari continues to build on the mindset, discipline, and community that helped shape his journey.

How have you been? 

Things have been well with me. I am wrapping up my first year at Morehouse College. College has presented me with a whole new set of experiences, both bad and good, that have changed me as a person. I am overall very grateful for the community I have around me, both at home and at school, as they have continued to support me in my journey through higher education.

How did you first learn about The Hidden Genius Project? 

My father works in the education system and was made aware of The Hidden Genius Project. He suggested the project to me, and it piqued my interest. When I joined the program, I expected it to be like a regular summer course about coding. The thing that surprised me was how much more the program offers than just coding. We were given lessons in other things like critical thinking skills, entrepreneurship, and just what it’s like to be Black. 

What was your experience in the program like?

I had a very positive experience with The Hidden Genius Project. The highlights of my experience were definitely the conversations. The teaching style of the program is focused on not being just a lecture that you’re meant to sit through. It’s designed in a way that engages you in the conversation through participation.  The conversations we’ve had about issues within the Black community especially stuck with me. 

Tell me about some of the challenges you’ve faced while in The Hidden Genius Project? How did you overcome them?

One of the biggest challenges I faced during my time at The Hidden Genius Project was doing programming during the pandemic. Being stuck in the house for most of the year prior was very tough on me, and so being able to go to the RYSE Center and hang out with the guys in RICH5 helped me quite a bit. When we were online, we had a lot of group discussions, which really helped to build the bond within our cohort. But it was nothing compared to the experience I had in person. The transition to in-person programming at the RYSE Center really helped with the brotherly bond, as being able to do things like hang out in the music room or play Xbox in the front helped us establish more of a connection. 

Describe the final project you created during your time in the Immersion Program.

For my final project in the Immersion Program, I created a search engine called Hidden Genius Search 5. Like other search engines such as Google, DuckDuckGo, and Microsoft Bing, it is a place where one can view an expansive database of information. My intention at the start was to make it a regular search engine, but I added features to tailor it to my fellow Geniuses. I created this in Visual Studio Code, mostly using languages such as HTML and JavaScript.

How is The Hidden Genius Project different from other mentorship or training experiences that you have been involved in? 

One of the best things about The Hidden Genius Project is the community. In other programs, once you’re done with the main portion, the opportunities end there. The Hidden Genius Project stays with you far after your initial 15 months. They continue to offer many opportunities and support to help you reach your true potential as a Genius. In my case, I took advantage of the opportunities to learn CAD software and to teach as a Youth Educator.

What specific skills learned in The Hidden Genius Project have been most beneficial for you?

The first skill that The Hidden Genius Project helped me build was communication. Through group projects or office hours, communication was something that was key to your success in the program. Navigating the various moving pieces of programming helped build that skill for me. 

The second top skill that I developed through The Hidden Genius Project was being able to work in a group. Group projects are one of those things that are constant throughout the program. In both the Immersion Program and the Youth Educator program, group projects are required. Working in groups as a part of The Hidden Genius Project has helped me in my academic life. A particular example was in my chemistry lab course, where every experiment required us to work together to complete it. 

But the most important thing that I gained from The Hidden Genius Project was inspiration. Being around such successful and talented Black men and women inspired and encouraged me to reach for greatness. It is very similar to the environment of Morehouse, and it was nice to experience an environment like that as a kid. 

How do you think your path might have been different if you hadn’t participated in The Hidden Genius Project?

I always knew that I had a drive for success. However, something that was missing was my reason why. I kept asking myself, “What do I want to be successful in, and why do I want to be successful at said thing?” The Hidden Genius Project helped me answer these questions, and without immersion programming and the subsequent mentorship, it would have taken me a lot longer to answer them. 

Looking back at myself before The Hidden Genius Project, I had a lot of doubt in my ability to do things that were seemingly impossible for a 15-year-old kid. The Hidden Genius Project taught me that with the right mindset and support behind you, you can achieve almost anything you dream of. If you told me back then that I would make my own search engine using HTML and JavaScript, I would’ve probably looked at you like you were crazy. 

In what ways have you remained involved with The Hidden Genius Project since completing the 15-month Intensive Immersion program?

Admittedly, my involvement with The Hidden Genius Project after the Immersion Program was not immediate. However, since then, I have made an effort to get more involved in the program. In the summer of 2024, I participated in an apprenticeship through The Hidden Genius Project with Autodesk. This year, I returned to The Hidden Genius Project as a Youth Educator at the Atlanta location, where I participated in the 2025 Brothers Code Atlanta event. During said event, I led the workshop in design thinking. 

In what ways has the staff of The Hidden Genius Project continued to support you since graduating from the program?

In my experience, the staff is by far one of the top highlights of The Hidden Genius Project. They make great efforts to stay in contact and support you even after you graduate. This was very much the case for me. My senior year of high school was two years after I graduated from the Immersion Program.  The staff at The Hidden Genius Project played a very supportive role in my college application process, helping with applications and essays for those applications. I am forever grateful for that help, as it was an extremely difficult time for my family, and having that support meant a lot. 

If you could talk to yourself just before you applied, what is one thing you would say?

If I were to talk to myself before I applied to The Hidden Genius Project, I would tell myself to take advantage of the opportunities I was presented with during my time as a Genius in the Immersion Program. While I did pursue a lot of the opportunities that the program offered, there was so much more that I could have done. 

What words of encouragement do you have for future Geniuses?

I would encourage future Geniuses to explore and use the program to its fullest extent, as they are in the hands of people who truly want to see them succeed and go far in life, beyond the program itself. Yes, the short-term benefits, like the stipends and trips, are nice. But I invite future geniuses to look past that and realize the wider community and network that they will become a part of, something that I believe to be way more valuable.