A brainy New York high school student was honored by President Obama at the White House Wednesday after winning one of the top prizes in the prestigious Intel Science Talent Search 2015.

Kalia D. Firester, 17, a senior at Hunter College High on the Upper East Side, captured a Second Place Medal of Distinction for Global Good for a study that could help tomato plants and other crops fight off deadly parasites.

“Kalia studied how a protein produced by nematodes, which are crop-destroying parasites, interacts with a plant’s cells and defenses,” Intel said in a statement. “Her research may contribute to engineering natural immunity to repel a pest that costs global agriculture $100 billion annually.”

Kalia’s proud mom, Ruth Firestar, credited her daughter’s work ethic as well as her brain power for her success.

“It’s extremely rewarding for a student to work so hard for so many years and get recognized. Kalia has worked harder than anyone I know, these reserach projects take hundreds of hours a year,” her proud mom told The Post.

And Hunter College High Principal Tony Fisher also heaped on the praise.

“We are so proud of Kalia, whose success is the culmination of years of hard work,” Fisher said about Kalia, who is still deciding which top college she will attend

Three students won first-place awards in a ceremony Tuesday, two others placed second, and three more finished third out of 1,844 high school seniors who entered the contest.

The three first place winners each received first-place awards of $150,000, while Kalia and the other second-place finishers will get $75,000 each.