Redlands High School senior Jiarui Li receives a ceremonial $50,000 scholarship check after being named a 2026 Edison Scholar. Li plans to attend Princeton University and study Operational Research and Financial Engineering. (Photo Credit: Gore Tagore/Courtesy Southern California Edison)
REDLANDS, Calif. — Redlands High School senior Jiarui Li has received a $50,000 Edison International scholarship and plans to use her future education to help make technology more accessible for people of all ages.
Li was selected as one of Southern California Edison’s 2026 Edison Scholars, earning a STEM-based scholarship that will help fund her studies at Princeton University, where she plans to major in Operational Research and Financial Engineering.
Growing up in the digital age has made technology second nature for Li, but she said watching older family members navigate an increasingly digital world inspired her academic goals.
“I’ve seen my grandmother, and sometimes my mother, having difficulty with technology,” Li told Edison News. “What seems easy to us is practically an alien world to them. I want to use my education to bridge the digital divide.”
Li said she hopes to create products and interfaces that are intuitive and accessible for users regardless of age or technological experience.
“I want to create interfaces that are intuitive to users of any age or those who are not familiar with technology, so that they are not left behind in this technological age,” she said.
Edison Scholar Jiarui plans to pursue a degree in Operational Research and Financial Engineering at Princeton. (Photo credit: Katya McCaffrey/Courtesy Southern California Edison)
At Redlands High School, Li has balanced academics with a wide range of extracurricular activities. She is a member of the school’s swim team, speech and debate club and abacus arithmetic association. She is also the author of a children's math book, Mochi’s Counting Machine.
Li said she plans to combine her longtime interest in mathematics with a growing passion for physics and engineering while at Princeton.
“My major combines business with STEM,” she said, noting that she hopes to use scientific knowledge to develop innovative and practical products.
Those who know Li said the scholarship reflects years of hard work and dedication.
“Whether it’s athletics, as a member of our swim team, and in her other extracurricular activities and clubs, she always puts forth her best effort,” Redlands High School counselor Vaughan Kusko told Edison News. “Jiarui represents all the positive things that our students are doing.”
Li said the scholarship will help reduce the financial burden of pursuing ambitious academic goals and future innovations.
Family and city officials celebrate Jiarui's accomplishment. (Photo Credit: Gore Tagore/Courtesy Southern California Edison)
“Having this scholarship is an encouragement, with Edison recognizing what I want to do,” she said. “It also allows me to relieve some of the burden that comes with me wanting to double major, minor, or even start crafting or innovating a product.”
Her advice to younger students is to remain resilient when plans do not work out as expected.
“Stay optimistic,” Li said. “I believe that failures aren’t failures, but a redirection. There are moments when I thought I failed or I did not get what I wanted, but looking back, I realized it was leading me down a different path to where I needed to be.”
The Redlands City Council is scheduled to recognize Li's achievement during its June 2 meeting.
Source note: This article was prepared using information and interview excerpts published by Southern California Edison as part of its Edison Scholars program.
