>>> WE ARE BACK.
8:51.
A NEW JERSEY TEENAGER MAKING
HISTORY.
SHE IS THE YOUNGEST GIRL EVER TO
CREATE A "NEW YORK TIMES"
CROSSWORD PUZZLE.
>> HER PASSION FIRST BEGAN AS A
KID.
WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT, SHE
LEARNED HOW TO CONSTRUCT HER
OWN, AND THE REST IS HISTORY.
>> YOU SEE HER HERE.
SHE JOINS US FROM NEW YORK CITY,
WHERE SHE IS CELEBRATING HER
18th BIRTHDAY.
>> HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
>> HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
THANK YOU.
>> CONGRATS ON YOUR "NEW YORK
TIMES" DEBUT.
SO LET ME -- I’M READING UP ON
YOU HERE.
HONORS STUDENT, SCHOOL
PRESIDENT, LACROSSE PLAYER AND
NOW, OF COURSE, PUBLISHED IN
"THE NEW YORK TIMES."
WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE?
I SHOULD ADD, THE YOUNGEST
FEMALE TO EVER WEN APEN A "NEW Y
TIMES" CROSSWORD PUZZLE.
>> IT IS SUPER EXCITING.
HONESTLY, I WASN’T ANTICIPATING
THAT IT WOULD BECOME OF
ANYTHING.
NOT TO DIMINISH WHAT I DID, BUT
I THINK I WAS ONLY READY FOR, I
GUESS, THE DEBUT DAY.
AFTER THAT, I KEEP GOING TO
SCHOOL.
KEEP -- EVEN THOUGH I’M STILL
GOING TO SCHOOL, KEEP GOING TO
SCHOOL, MAKE PUZZLES.
I DIDN’T EXPECT TO GET ANY
ATTENTION FROM IT.
>> MR. ROKER, YOU’RE A HUGE
CROSSWORD PUZZLE L GUY.
>> OH, SHOOT, HIS MIC ISN’T
WORKING.
WE’LL TRY TO GET --
>> I WILL ASK, BECAUSE I
ACTUALLY TOTALLY PICKED UP
CROSSWORDS DURING THE PANDEMIC.
BUT THERE ARE SO MANY TIMES
WHERE MY BRAIN JUST -- I CAN’T
FIND THE ANSWER, LIKE SO MANY
PEOPLE WHO DID "THE NEW YORK
TIMES" CROSSWORD.
IS IT, I MEAN, EASIER TO WRITE
THE QUESTIONS?
HOW DOES YOUR BRAIN, LIKE, COME
UP WITH THIS?
>> TO BE HONEST, CLUEING IS THE
HARDEST PART FOR ME.
I DO THINK THAT SOLVING A
CROSSWORD PUZZLE AT TIMES CAN BE
A LOT EASIER THAN MAKING ONE.
MY BRAIN SOMETIMES WORKS IN
ASSOCIATION, SO I’LL HEAR
CERTAIN WORDS, PHRASES, AND
THAT’S WHAT IS GOING TO GET MY
MIND CHURNING INTO THINKING,
OKAY, HOW DO I PUT THIS IN A
PUZZLE, OR CAN I THINK OF OF
OTHER WORDS THAT WORK IN THE
SAME WAY OR OTHER PHRASES.
>> WE HAVE AL BACK.
>> YES.
MY QUESTION IS, DO YOU GO TO
MAKE THINGS AS CRAZY AS POSSIBLE
FOR FOLKS?
IN OTHER WORDS, DO YOU TAKE SOME DELIGHT IN MAKING US NUTS?
DELIGHT IN MAKING US NUTS?
>> NO, ACTUALLY, I DON’T.
I STARTED SOLVING CROSSWORDS
WHEN I WAS 10, 11.
TY DIDI DID THE "PEOPLE"
CROSSWORDS, AND THEN "THE NEW
YORK TIMES."
THEY’RE NOT MADE FOR 10 TO
13-YEAR-OLDS.
I PERSONALLY HAD TERRIBLE
EXPERIENCES TRYING TO SOLVE MY
OWN.
THEY JUST, YOU KNOW -- I JUST
WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO DO IT.
SO I REALLY TRY TO MAKE PEOPLE
FEEL SMART WHEN THEY DO THINGS.
>> THAT’S NICE.
>> I DON’T LIKE TO SUCK ALL OF
THE JOY OUT OF DOING A CROSSWORD
PUZZLE BECAUSE IT’S SO HARD.
>> THANK YOU.
A LOT OF THEM ARE POP CULTURE
REFERENCES.
WHEN YOU’RE YOUNG --
>> YOU KNOW, I HEAR YOU’RE
WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM SOME
OF THIS COUNTRY’S MOST ELITE
UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO ON THE
BACK END OF THIS, LIKE WHEN YOU
GROW UP?
THOUGH I FEEL LIKE WHEN YOU
CREATED A "NEW YORK TIMES"
CROSSWORD PUZZLE, YOU’VE KIND OF
ALREADY GROWN UP.
AS A PROFESSIONAL, HAVE YOU
THOUGHT OF WHAT YOU MIGHT WANT
TO DO?
>> I’VE THOUGHT AND I’VE THOUGHT
AND I’VE THOUGHT.
I HAVE NO IDEA YET.
THE OTHER DAY, I TALKED TO MY
MOM AND SAID, I WANT NEIL
deGRASSE TYSON’S JOB.
VERY MUCH A SCIENTIST.
I DO LIKE TALKING TO PEOPLE,
INTERACTING WITH PEOPLE.
SO SOMETHING THAT COMBINES MAYBE
SCIENCE AND -- I’M NOT SURE YET.
>> HAVE YOU EVER TALKED WITH
NEIL deGRASSE TYSON?
>> I HAVE NEVER.
BUT NEIL deGRASSE TYSON, IF YOU
DO WANT TO SPEAK, I’M HERE,
PLEASE.
>> WE SHOULD MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
>> WE HAVE CONNECTIONS HERE.
>> WE’LL TRY TO WORK THAT OUT.
>> FOR YOUR 18th BIRTHDAY.
>> OKAY, OKAY.
CONGRATULATIONS, SOLEIL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TALKING
WITH US.
ALL THE BEST.
I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHAT’S AHEAD
FOR YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
>> ABOUT TO MAKE MY 11-YEAR-OLD
WORK CROSSWORD PUZZLES, RIGHT?
>> MAKE MY KIDS DO IT.
>> MAKE THEM BRILLIANT LIKE YOU.
>> YOU NEED TO DO IT FIRST.