Eight children from Wilton were recently celebrated for their academic excellence by the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY). The eight students, ranging in age from 3rd grade to 9th grade, were honored as among the brightest young students in the world during an awards ceremony at the campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD on May 21.
The eight youths were identified after participating in the CTY Talent Search and scoring exceptionally high on a rigorous, above-grade-level test. The youngest was Kyle Abrahamsen, a 3rd grade student at Ridgefield Academy. The other Wilton award recipients were Gayathri Kamal, 6th grade at Middlebrook; Nathan Meyers, 7th grade at Hopkins School; Meera Sharma, 7th grade at Middlebrook; Jessica Wu, 7th grade at Middlebrook; Sophia Ramirez, 8th grade at Middlebrook; Sapphire Ching, 9th grade at Hopkins School; and Jessica Cramer, 9th grade at Greens Farms Academy.
As part of the CTY Talent Search, advanced students in 2nd through 8th grades take challenging tests that can reveal their true capacity for learning. Children in 7th and 8th grade take the SAT or ACT, the same tests used for college admissions; these students may also take advanced versions of the School and College Ability Test (SCAT) or the Spatial Test Battery (STB). Younger students take the SCAT, STB, or PSAT 8/9.
More than 27,000 students from more than 65 countries participated in the CTY Talent Search between March 2016 and February 2017. Only about 25% of Talent Search participants earned the High Honors designation.
“We congratulate all of our CTY Talent Search honorees for their hard work and academic achievement,” says Elaine Tuttle Hansen, executive director of CTY. “This is a moment not just to celebrate our students, but to honor the parents and educators who recognized their academic talent and provided them with opportunities to develop it.”