Indian-American girl named as 'world's brightest student' for second time in Johns Hopkins list

An Indian-American schoolgirl, Natasha Perianayagam, was named in the 'world's brightest students list' for the second year in a row by the US-based Johns Hopkins Center For Talented Youth, based on the results of above-grade-level tests taken by over 15,000 students from 76 countries.

Perianayagam (13) is the student at New Jersey's Florence M Gaudineer Middle School. In the 2021 spring, she also took the Johns Hopkins Center For Talented Youth (CTY) test as a Grade 5 student. 

She scored in the 90th percentile for advanced Grade 8 performance in both verbal and quantitative tests, which catapulted her to the honours list that year.

This year she was recognised for her outstanding performance on the SAT, ACT, School and College Ability Test, or similar assessment administered as part of the CTY Talent Search, said the university.

In her spare time, Perianayagam, whose parents hail from Chennai, enjoys doodling and reading JRR Tolkien's novels.

CTY identified advanced students worldwide with above-grade-level tests and provided a clear picture of their academic abilities. 

Perianayagam was one of 15,300 students from 76 countries who joined CTY in the 2021-22 Talent Search year, said the University release.

Less than 27 per cent of those who took the test qualified for the CTY ceremony, where they received either high or grand honours based on their test scores. Perianayagam received the highest grades among all candidates in her latest attempt.

According to Dr Amy Shelton, executive director of CTY, "This is not just recognition of our student's success on one test, but a salute to their love of discovery and learning, and all the knowledge they have gathered in their young lives, so far."

"It's exciting to think about all the ways they'll use that potential to discover their passions, engage in rewarding and enriching experiences, and accomplish remarkable things in their communities and around the world," she added.

(With inputs from PTI)

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• CTY
• Johns Hopkins Center
• Johns Hopkins Center For Talented Yout
• Natasha Perianayagam
• World's Brightest Students