Turning High Potential into High Achievement

There is talk in education circles about how we, as a nation, are failing our brightest students. We would like to share the story of a student which depicts what happens not when we fail, but when we succeed. Her parents, teachers, and gifted educators have worked seamlessly together for many years to challenge and support Connie Cai in reaching her highest potential. The result has been, in Connie’s own words, “transformative.”

In elementary school, Connie was an avid reader who did well academically and finished her homework in a flash. She could have probably continued that trajectory and done very well, but the gifted education resource consultant from her school saw her potential for more. She recommended that Connie’s parents contact CTD. They did, and it led to a stunning sequence of discovery, opportunity and growth.

Connie’s parents had always known she was smart, but they hadn’t known just how smart. In grade 3, she participated in Northwestern University’s Midwest Academic Talent Search (NUMATS) and received a perfect math score on an above-grade-level test designed for students in grade 6. Through NUMATS, her talents were identified, and she was able, for the first time, to be challenged at a level matching her abilities.

Academically, Connie thrived. Additionally, the NUMATS awards ceremony allowed Connie to feel how proud her parents were of her. This made a deep impact on her confidence and self-esteem, and she has never looked back.

With every NUMATS test she has taken throughout the years, Connie has qualified for camps, scholarships and courses, which have increased her zest for learning and achievement. In 2014, for instance, she conducted tissue-engineering research at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine as part of a CTD summer program. This past summer, she researched the MECP2 gene at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Connie’s participation in CTD programs also opened the door for her to win a position as a finalist of the Caroline D. Bradley scholarship and attend Philips Exeter Academy, one of the most prestigious high schools in the nation. 

Connie is a bright student. Without support, she would have probably done very well on grade-level work, but because her talent was identified early and she was challenged appropriately, she is now achieving more than she ever imagined. And as far as her story goes, this is just the beginning.

Has your child experienced a game-changing moment that transformed the trajectory of his or her educational path?