South Brunswick Boy Among ‘Brightest Students In The World'

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — Seven-year-old Veehaan Mane plays the piano, sings and loves "paneer butter masala."

This elementary school student from South Brunswick is one of the “brightest students in the world” according to the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY).

Veehaan, a student at Brunswick Acres Elementary School, was recently honored for his “exceptional” performance on the SAT, ACT, and similar assessment as part of the CTY Talent Search.

The CTY uses "above-grade-level testing" to identify advanced students from around the world and provide a clear picture of their academic abilities.

The second-grader was tested in June last year and he was among the very few who scored in the 99 percentiles.

“My parents got me this book to study analogies. So, I would do four pages a day,” said Veehaan when asked about how he prepared for the test. “The math section was hard.”

Veehaan’s father Pankaj said that since kindergarten, the student has always been good with testing.

“We are always trying to find new things for him to do. The idea was to get him to do courses he would enjoy. And that’s how the CTY testing came about,” said Pankaj.

More than 15,000 students from grades two through eight tested through CTY's Talent Search between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020. Students represented all 50 states plus Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Veehaan was among the top nine percent and a 2020 Grand Honors awardee.

“Veehaan enjoys being challenged. He likes puzzles and solving questions. So, for him to take this test was the next step,” said Pankaj.

With schools being virtual the past year due to the pandemic, Pankaj said Veehaan, just like other children, would find it difficult to “focus.”

“Sometimes what they teach in class is something he already studied for the test. So, he tends to wander off,” said Pankaj.

“But I think his teacher has been doing a great job with keeping everybody on track and focused.”

Recently, Veehaan’s parents decided to send him to back to school for in-person classes.

“We opted to send him for in-person learning and he is really happy and enjoying it,” Pankaj said.

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