From Bookmarks to Big Dreams: Gary’s 3D Printing Glow-Up

"3D printing is easy and fun."

Gary, a 7-year-old boy who is anything but ordinary.

While most kids his age are busy with toys and video games, Gary has already ventured into the world of entrepreneurship. He designs and 3D prints unique bookmarks, selling them to his classmates and teachers. But that’s not all—Gary has even launched his own online store.

I first learned about Gary’s incredible journey through a segment on ABC TV News, and his story immediately captivated me. His passion for technology and creativity is truly inspiring.

"He is making a big impact in his school and all the world around him through his high IQ and he is using his coding and 3d printing skills to make a product that he sells online. He is wise beyond his years. Like any astute businessman, Gary also knows the subtle art of promotion. This boy genius is ready to tackle the world." - Mrs. Stephanie Stanton, National TV Journalist and TV anchor at ABC News

From Bookworm to Bookmark Boss

From a young age, Gary had a strong interest in numbers, shapes, and creating things. He recalls, "I have always liked numbers, math, and building 3D shapes. I also like reading a lot. When I was 5 years old, I got a reward from my library for reading more than 1,000 books."

Gary was selected for Ashton Elementary's REACH 1st Grade class, an advanced program for high-achieving and self-motivated students.

"Gary is very unique. He loves everything that has to do with creating. He loves coming up with his own ideas. He is always asking what more he can learn.” - Mrs. Brandy McCormack, Gary’s REACH First Grade teacher

Gary's bookmark idea started with a simple, thoughtful gesture. "I love reading, and my teacher loves everything about books," Gary explains. "So, for Valentine's Day, I decided to 3D print personalized bookmarks for each of my classmates, and one for my teacher. Everyone loved them, and seeing their reactions made me feel really proud.

"What began as a simple, thoughtful gift quickly turned into something much bigger. "Over the next few weeks, other friends and teachers started asking for bookmarks," Gary recalls. "So, I kept printing them and giving them out as gifts."

"With my dad's help, I imported my school's logo into Tinkercad and simplified it into an astronaut reaching for a star," Gary explains. His mom helped fine-tune the design, adding a ruler feature that fits 14 characters for easy personalization. "We did it all on the computer," Gary says proudly.

Seeing how popular they had become, Gary asked his teacher if he could start selling them at school. After getting approval from the principal, he got to work. The principal even encouraged him to make flyers to spread the word. Before long, Gary landed his first sale, earning $21.

In just his first week, Gary sold 32 bookmarks. He used the profits to pay for his coding classes. "Each class costs $25, so I need to sell five bookmarks to pay for one class," Gary explains. But he didn’t keep all the earnings for himself. "I donate $2 from every bookmark sold to my school," he adds.

With support from his parents, Gary expanded his business by setting up an Etsy store, taking his 3D-printed bookmarks beyond the schoolyard and sharing them with customers around the world.

Schoolyard Projects and Next-Level Creations

This year, Gary entered 2nd grade at Pine View School for the Gifted, ranked as one of the top schools in the United States. His curiosity knows no bounds—he's passionate about science, math, programming, and game design—but it’s 3D printing that truly ignites his creativity, fueling new ideas with each project.

Always eager to push his creative limits, Gary designed glow-in-the-dark bookmarks for an event in his new school, using a lightbulb symbol to represent ideas and creativity. "I love reviewing all the filament colors and picking the one I want to 3D print with," he shares excitedly. "I especially love glow-in-the-dark colors, metallic shades like gold and silver, and every kind of blue." For the school festival, Gary generously donated 20 bookmarks, sharing not only his designs but also his love for creativity and technology with the school community.

Gary's bookmarks are more than simple decorations. They are thoughtful creations packed with meaning.

But Gary’s imagination doesn’t stop at bookmarks. He’s planning to pitch them to local museums, zoos, and aquariums, hoping to see them sold in gift shops. He's also working on a custom bookmark requested by a dental clinic. And just for fun, he took on a side project—designing an "ant trap." The results exceeded expectations. "Unfortunately, it worked too well! It attracted way too many ants into our house because I put sweet popcorn inside," he laughs.

At just six years old, Gary earned a spot in MENSA, the international society for those with the highest intellectual capabilities, reserved for those who score within the top 2% on a supervised IQ test.

Dr. Robert Winegar, Psy.D conducted 2 days of personal interviews and IQ testing, noted in his report: "Gary is a gifted child, and it is my opinion that he will flourish within an advanced academic program."

Looking ahead, Gary has big dreams: "I’d love for the Bambu Lab team to buy my design, ‘Astronaut Reaching for the Star,’ so everyone with a 3D printer can make my bookmarks for their friends and family." He hopes to use the earnings to cover his MENSA membership fees and continue pursuing his passions.

Print It, Play It, Build It: Gary's Boundless Imagination

With just a 3D printer and a spark of creativity, Gary’s ideas come to life right before his eyes. While many might think 3D printing is too complex for kids, Gary keeps it simple: “3D printing is easy and fun,” he says confidently.

With a little help from his parents, Gary quickly mastered Tinkercad and the Bambu Lab slicer software. “I send the designs to the 3D printer from my computer, and after a few minutes, the object is ready. It’s so fun to pick it off the plate and hold my design in my hands. It feels like magic!” he says with a grin. Of course, not every project goes perfectly. “Sometimes, I have to print prototypes and then tweak the design to improve it,” he admits. But for Gary, each step—even the mistakes—makes the process more exciting.

Gary’s mom, Irina, is his biggest inspiration and closest collaborator. She runs Moonshotkidz, a tech education startup creating DIY STEAM content, and has a following of over 500,000 on Instagram and TikTok. Irina isn’t new to tech—she’s a Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation and a graduate of Singularity University's program in Silicon Valley. She first ventured into 3D printing through a startup project and is now learning 3D modeling with Blender. "My son collaborates with me on my projects, especially during the design and prototype stages,” she shares. “In a way, we’re both learning together. I teach him, but he’s also teaching me.”

Beyond 3D printing, Gary is a curious and ambitious learner. He loves reading non-fiction and National Geographic, and enjoys video games like Minecraft, Cell to Singularity, and Geometry Dash, where he can build worlds and design levels. On weekends, you’ll find him coding or playing tennis. He also dreams of visiting China to see pandas and plans to start learning Chinese in fourth grade.

"Gary has shown tremendous knowledge and capability with coding his games. He not only seems to understand scratch quite well, but he also has a far better understanding of programming concepts than most students his age." - Mr. Austin Gallagher, his Scratch coding coach at the Coder School

Gary has big dreams for the future. “I want to be an engineer because I love solving problems, making things, writing code, creating games, and building machines people can use all over the world,” he says, already envisioning the endless possibilities.

When asked for advice for kids interested in 3D printing, Gary is quick to respond: “3D printing is easy and fun. The most important thing is to be happy, creative, and not afraid to try,” he says. “It gets easier every time.” His enthusiasm is contagious. “All my classmates were super excited to see how the 3D printer works, and now everyone wants one too.”

For parents like Irina, 3D printing is about more than creating cool objects—it’s about building confidence. “Gary’s become more independent. He knows that if he needs something, he can design it and print it himself,” she says. “We’ll always support him as he explores new subjects and career paths. He’s great at grasping abstract concepts, thinking critically, and finding creative solutions.”