TROY, Mich. (WXYZ) — Do you know any people who have a high intelligence quotient — better known as an IQ score?
The average IQ is between 85 and 115. But I recently met a little boy from Troy, whose score is high enough to land him in one of the most elite intelligence clubs in the world.
He can tackle a U.S. map puzzle in no time, rattle off all the flags of the world in a flash, or assemble challenging Legos like a champ!
Hank Kesner, I should note, is only seven! The boy wonder's Legos are meant for builders 18 and up.
His other interests include astronomy, reading, writing and arithmetic — including division!
"So, then you know your multiplication tables?" I asked Hank.
"Yeah," said Hank smiling. Mind you, he just finished first grade.
Impressive, right? His family thinks so, too.
“As soon as he could start talking really, he was obsessed with the alphabet," Hank's Mom Laura explained.
After standardized testing, the Kesners found out Hank scored in the top two percent of the general population, and he has an IQ of 130 — qualifying him for the high intelligence organization called American Mensa.
So when his parents got the news that Hank got into Mensa, what was their reaction?
"A little bit of shock," said Jason, Hank's Dad. "Yeah. Just really proud of him."
"The reason I reached out and thought about doing Mensa is because they have a lot of resources for gifted children," Laura said.
But at the end of the day, this exceptional young scholar is just a kid.
"He's the happiest kid," Laura said. "He loves life, he loves laughing."
I asked Hank what he wants to do when he grows up, and he quickly replied an astronaut and a Lego engineer.
"Which I know are two totally different paths," Jason said. "But if there's anybody I think who could put them together, it's probably him."
And whatever goals he has, the Kesners let this soccer-loving 7-year-old go at his own pace and let his gifts lead the way.
Hank is planning to play a lot of soccer this summer with his two older sisters. His Mom tells me he'll also attend 'Robot Garage Camp', where he will build Lego robots and work on the coding to program them to move.
I want to thank the Kesners for inviting us into their home to share this story and thank Hank's grandmother Susan for letting us know about their bright young star.
If you have a story idea, please email me: asmith@wxyz.com.
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