The Many Faces of Gifted: Tara R.

By Carole Rosner

Every gifted person has a unique story. The following story is part of a series of posts depicting the many faces of gifted by highlighting gifted children and adults we have found through IEA programs. IEA’s pioneering Yunasa summer camps – mentioned in this story – unite highly able children and experts in the social and emotional development of gifted children and provides an opportunity for campers to explore and grow the intellectual, spiritual, emotional, social and physical aspects of their lives.

Tara Raizada
Past Yunasa Camper
Current Student at Northwestern University

“The ‘gifted’ label, for me, mattered less and less as I got older,” college freshman Tara Raizada said. “When I was younger, the identification pushed me to achieve more, but I ended up going to a middle school comprised solely of TAG [Talented and Gifted] students, where being ‘gifted’ was the norm, and I began to attribute less to the term than I had before, since that kind of child was so ubiquitous in my life. I hardly ever heard the word during high school, and I began to think even less about it. Yunasa became the only place I ever really pondered the term, and then I thought of it in a positive light. At the same time, I think it’s important to strike a balance with this label, because it can put children under a lot of pressure to achieve what they think ‘gifted’ kids need to achieve. Yunasa, I think, contributes a lot to balancing that fear out for many campers I’ve seen there, to realize that being ‘gifted’ is also a personality trait and an intellectual mindset, not just a measure of intelligence.”

The Many Faces of Gifted: Monica

By Carole Rosner

Every gifted person has a unique story. The following story is part of a series of posts depicting the many faces of gifted by highlighting gifted children and adults we have found through IEA programs. IEA’s Apprenticeship Program – mentioned in this story – links gifted high school students from across the country with mentors who advance each participant’s skills through the application of knowledge and exposure to real world experiences.

Monica Lienke
2001 Apprentice, Industrial Design at Art Center College of Design (Art Center)
Law Student, Stanford University

Twelve years ago, Monica Lienke was one of the first IEA Apprentices at Art Center. She worked closely with Stan Kong, a leading design educator in Los Angeles. She described her two-week experience as “long hours and a lot of work, but extremely gratifying. I remember feeling that I had learned a ton by the end of it. But probably the best part of the program was getting to know the other participants in the program, who were all incredibly talented and unique individuals.”

The Many Faces of Gifted: Shaun

By Carole Rosner

Every gifted person has a unique story. The following story is part of a series of posts depicting the many faces of gifted by highlighting gifted children and adults we have found through IEA programs. IEA’s Apprenticeship Program – mentioned in this story – links gifted high school students from across the country with mentors who advance each participant’s skills through the application of knowledge and exposure to real world experiences.

Shaun Yosslowitz‏
2001 Apprentice, Robotics, Xerox PARC, Palo Alto, CA
2002 Apprentice, Astronomy, Caltech
IT Consultant, Accenture

For high school students looking ahead to college, IEA’s Apprenticeship Program is a great way to do something unique and productive during the summer. Shaun Yosslowitz participated in two science-based research opportunities that put him right in the middle of real-life work environments. Shaun told me his Apprenticeships were “a fun activity that I was able to put on my college admissions applications. So, it was definitely a worthwhile experience that I would encourage pursuing for anyone interested.”

Shaun participated in two IEA Apprenticeship Programs—a Robotics program held at Xerox PARC in Palo Alto and the Exploration of Mars program held at Caltech. “At Xerox Park I built and programmed a modular robot and presented the project to other interns and researchers at the facility. Using light sensors and basic Java, I built a robot to move away from light! I did not have much exposure to coding or Java beforehand, so I found it challenging but interesting.”

“At Caltech, under the guidance of a professor, I researched sunspots on Mars and learned general information about the red planet. The program culminated with a presentation that I gave to the other Apprentices also doing programs sponsored by IEA at Caltech,” Shaun explained.

After high school, Shaun went on to college with plans to go into medicine. “I started UCLA as a Chemistry major, as I enjoyed my IEA Apprenticeships and science classes in school, but graduated with a major in Business Economics and minor in Accounting. My desire to become a doctor quickly shifted to an interest in accounting.”

“During my last couple of years at UCLA, I interned with a local accounting firm and then at Ernst and Young, where I started working full time after school. Ernst and Young supported me through my Certified Public Accounting preparation courses and exams and also heavily subsidized my Master’s in Business Taxation from the USC Leventhal School of Accounting. Later, I decided that I wanted a change. I now work for Accenture as an IT consultant, specializing in the Finance/Accounting area in technology/systems.”

Shaun’s not sure where his life and career will take him, but he’s gotten some great insights along the way!

The Many Faces of Gifted: Manning

By Carole Rosner

Every gifted person has a unique story. The following story is part of a series of posts depicting the many faces of gifted by highlighting gifted children and adults we have found through IEA programs. The Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship program – mentioned in this story – awards highly gifted applicants with a four-year scholarship to a high school that fits their individual, intellectual and personal needs.

Manning Ding
2003 CDB Scholar
Business Analyst, McKinsey and Company, Minneapolis

Before Manning Ding graduated with highest honors from Harvard in 2012, and before she worked in Kampala, Uganda, and Beijing, China, she was a junior high school student in Iowa who was awarded the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship. The merit-based scholarship let her attend any high school of her choice, and she chose Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire.

IEA Summer Spotlight 2013

115 students, parents and supporters of gifted education gathered at USC on July 9 for IEA’s Summer Spotlight 2013, an event designed to showcase gifted students and the programs we offer to meet their needs. The evening was a huge success, and we wanted to share some of the highlights with those of you who were not able to attend.

The Many Faces of Gifted: Marley

By Carole Rosner

Every gifted person has a unique story. The following story is part of a series of posts depicting the many faces of gifted by highlighting gifted children and adults we have found through IEA programs. IEA’s Apprenticeship Program – mentioned in this story – links gifted high school students from across the country with mentors who advance each participant’s skills through the application of knowledge and exposure to real world experiences.

Marley Jarvis
2003 Apprentice, Caltech
PhD Candidate, University of Oregon

In the summer of 2003, an IEA Apprenticeship opportunity in Pasadena grabbed the attention of teenager Marley Jarvis. To apprentice with Dr. Patrick Collier in the Chemistry Department at Caltech was just what Marley was looking for.

“In high school, I was really interested in studying the brain. This Apprenticeship was the only one that year that touched on neurobiology. I applied since it was also one of the only programs that offered lots of research experience for a high schooler that I found,” Marley explained.

The Many Faces of Gifted: Hazem

By Carole Rosner

Every gifted person has a unique story. The following story is part of a series of posts depicting the many faces of gifted by highlighting gifted children and adults we have found through IEA programs. IEA’s Apprenticeship Program – mentioned in this story – links gifted high school students from across the country with mentors who advance each participant’s skills through the application of knowledge and exposure to real world experiences.

Hazem Zureiqat
2001 Apprentice, U.S. Geological Survey in Pasadena
Planning and Studies Department Manager, Engicon
Co-Founder and CEO, Sowt

“I had spent all my childhood in Jordan, and I was interested in pursuing my university education in the United States. I saw the Apprenticeship Program as an opportunity to get a taste of higher education and research in the U.S.,” Hazem Zureiqat, 2001 Apprentice, explained.