USA (Commonwealth Union)_ Indian American school student Natasha Perianayagam was placed on the world’s brightest students list by the US-based Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth for the second year in a row. The list is compiled annually based on the results of above-grade-level exams taken by more than 15,000 students from 76 countries.
Thirteen-year-old Natasha is a student at the New Jersey Florence M Gaudineer middle school. She took the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) examination in spring 2021, when she was in fifth grade. Her verbal and quantitative test scores were equivalent to the 90th percentile of advanced Grade 8 achievement, propelling her to the honors list that year. According to the statement from the institution, she was honored for her extraordinary achievement on the SAT, ACT, School and College Ability Test, or an equivalent test taken under the CTY Talent Search.
Natasha, whose parents are natives of Chennai, stated that she enjoys doodling and reading JRR Tolkien’s writings during her leisure time. CTY uses above-grade-level testing to discover gifted individuals from across the world and presents a detailed picture of their academic skills. The university stated that Natasha was one of the 15,300 students who joined CTY for the 2021-2022 Talent Search year from 76 countries. On the basis of their exam scores, less than 27% of those individuals qualified for the CTY ceremony and earned either high or grand honors. On her most recent exam, Natasha scored the highest grade of all candidates.
Dr. Amy Shelton, executive director at CTY, said, “This is not just a recognition for our students’ success on one test, but a salute to their love for discovery and learning, and all the knowledge they have accumulated in their young lives so far”. She added, “It is interesting to think about all the ways in which they will use that potential to discover their passions, engage in rewarding and enriching experiences, and achieve remarkable things — in their communities and in the world”.
