A Seaquam Secondary graduate's journey from Delta to OpenAI

Jai Bhatia, a 21-year-old from the area, has gone from Seaquam Secondary to a career in the fast-moving world of artificial intelligence in Silicon Valley.

Bhatia grew up in North Delta and became interested in technology at a young age. He took part in science fairs and managed websites for non-profit groups like Project Hastings. These experiences sparked his interest in coding.

"I think just the ability to write code that does stuff, and seeing the things you're typing into a computer translate into something that has a real action, was pretty cool to me," Bhatia remembers.

He says that working at OpenAI means being part of a very fast-moving workplace.

“You're touching a product that, hopefully, empowers the future of how humans work with tools. It’s a very new space,” he said.

Bhatia comes from an immigrant family. Both of his parents moved from India around the time he was born. Moving to the Bay Area meant living on campus for all four years of university and leaving behind the routines he was used to.

“I think the biggest challenge for me was just adapting to this new reality of being away from home,” he said.

Getting used to a very large student community was not easy at first. But Bhatia found his place by joining groups on campus, such as CS Scholars, where students work together and study together.

To get into some of the best computer science programs, he knew he had to look beyond British Columbia. He found that applying to universities in the United States was not common among students in Delta.

He used online websites and educational programs to prepare for exams like the SAT on his own. His hard work paid off when he was accepted to UC Berkeley. He graduated in 2026.

After graduating, Bhatia joined OpenAI in San Francisco, where he now works in the rapidly growing field of artificial intelligence.

Bhatia recognizes that AI has great potential to solve difficult problems, but he also says it is important to use it in a balanced way.

For students dealing with the growing use of AI in classrooms, he recommends using the technology to strengthen critical thinking instead of letting it do the thinking for them.

His main advice for young students in North Delta who are interested in technology is to learn beyond what they are taught at school.

“I definitely encourage students to use the tools at their disposal and build side projects away from school. It's very important to spend time away from the classroom to build stuff that you're interested in and passionate about,” he says. “Learning how to go from zero to one on different small things is very important.”

Although he now lives in San Francisco, Bhatia still looks back fondly on his home in North Delta. He hopes his story will show other local students that they can achieve big goals too.

He is also thankful to Dhana Matthews, a very supportive teacher at Seaquam who helped him through the university application process.

“Delta is a pretty small community within B.C.,” Bhatia says. “Taking the initiative to work on what you really are passionate about can take you anywhere.”