Isaiah AGE 18
Analytical as well as inventive, a left-brained coder and a right- brained artist, ISAIAH doesn’t limit himself to only one passion or path. The Illinois Math and Science Academy rising senior is preparing for college and a future in technology, while still making time for music, drawing, and dance. And though his interests are wide in scope, he readily employs his established skills when learning about new topics: Isaiah was able to see real-world applications of his interest in design through Center for Talent Development’s summer service-learning program, Civic Leadership Institute (CLI).
“It has opened my eyes to considering the unthinkable,” Isaiah says of some of the discoveries he made in CLI. The program gave him a chance to work with the Chicago community organization City Farm, which uses innovative sustainability practices to address social and ecological issues in a major metropolis. Several of the farm’s techniques resonated with Isaiah, who is no stranger to visual-spatial problem-solving. “Fish surviving in vertical pods on roofs? A portable farm—complete with soil and seeds? That really makes me want to reach for the stars in everything I do,” he says of his experience.
This ambitious curiosity means Isaiah might be teaching himself choreography to a favorite song one moment and practicing a musical instrument the next (he plays three—guitar, violin, and viola—and was preparing for a chamber music festival as of this interview). A reader of eclectic tastes, he’s fluent in fantasy epics as well as headline news (he’s currently following Supreme Court rulings related to LGBT rights and gender equality). And though he has an aptitude for STEM topics, don’t expect Isaiah to limit himself to a single tech hotspot. “I want to do computer science across the globe,” he says of his long-term plans, “and CTD has helped me to see that even a career so specific as that is indeed possible.”
In addition to encouraging him to pursue a new profession, Isaiah says the CLI program introduced him to new friends. He recalls long philosophical talks with his roommate, with whom he developed a “mutual respect,” despite their different backgrounds, skills, and grade levels. And by working with a team of like-minded classmates, he navigated the “nuanced situations” of travel, hard work, and friendships. Recalling his service- learning summer, Isaiah shares, “I have made many genuine connections in CLI that I could not have gained anywhere else.”
Evelyn AGE 12
As a CTD student, EVELYN has found ways to connect with peers while learning about technology and math. The Fife, Wash- ington sixth grader’s CTD courses include Story Time Coding, X-Ray Vision, and Python Programming, in which she partnered with another student to build a version of a familiar game using code. Her favorite class, Survivor Math, offered an “engaging” way to learn about a subject she likes.
Evelyn’s creative nature keeps her busy outside of class: she plays the French horn and ukulele, sings in her church choir, and has even won an award while attending a music camp. Evelyn names Angelica Schuyler of Hamilton as a favorite character, “because she is a strong, fierce woman.” In addition to music, Evelyn enjoys baking and seeing the world. “I also love to travel and see new places and cultures,” she explains, and she has already visited Malaysia and Thailand with family. “It was really fun to eat adven- turous foods and swim in warm oceans,” she says of these trips.
In her travels to CTD, Evelyn has gotten a taste of life on a uni- versity campus. “I really liked staying in the dorms, because you make new friends and get to explore Chicago” she says, and she wants potential CTD participants and their families to know there “is a wide variety of students at CTD.” For Evelyn, “attending CTD classes is about trying new things and getting inspiration for what my career might be someday.” I am not sure what I want to do yet,” she says, “but CTD has taught me that the world is wide open.”
Center for Talent Development
ctd.northwestern.edu
ctd.northwestern.edu
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