The last year in Mobile, 1993-1994, was full of more work than I could have anticipated. Besides working with Moss Point School district developing curriculum, writing pages for kids in Christian Conquest magazine, working with kids in our church school, and doing workshops for teachers in Boston, MA, Winnipeg, Canada, and Oxford, England, there was one surprising friendship that God plopped in my lap.
One of the chapters I was asked to author for the special education textbook was on students who were gifted. Each chapter in the text had one student in focus who exemplified that characteristic. I was told about a gifted student, 9 years old, who was doing an anthropology major at the university and scheduled to graduate with his BA in the spring. Well, that seemed hard to believe, but I got the contact information and arranged with his mom to come out and meet him and discuss how we could tell their story in the book.
I expected to see a boy looking bespectacled, kind of like Harry Potter, with his head buried in a book. When I was invited in by mama, Cassidy Kearney, I saw two kids running and jumping all over. I asked her where Michael was, thinking these must be siblings. She pointed at the boy and said, "That's Michael." As it turned out, he and younger sister Maeghan had been home-schooled to keep them focused and not pushed. Michael's story is pretty impressive. His sister Maeghan is pretty amazing herself. I did a lot of work with both of them.
It turned out to be a great chapter and I learned more about kids who are gifted than anyone. Michael and I became good friends and in the years ahead he and I, along with Maeghan, worked together on some research and writing and publishing. His parents and I, Kevin and Cassidy, later authored an article on Michael. They also wrote a book about him called Accidental Genius.
One joy was also getting to know them as a family, and as kids who were real kids. One evening in our home (photo below) I told Michael that I was praying that God would provide him a good mentor. I wanted someone who could take Michael and shepherd him through the academic loopholes. Michael looked at me and said he already had one! I was surprised and asked who it was. He said that I was the mentor. I asked how that was possible as I was not an anthropology major. He said that I was his mentor in kindness and friendship and that was more important. That was one of the greatest compliments I've ever received.
Graduation came. We were all proud of Michael. He had conquered many challenges to get to this point. The university was proud of Michael too, as you can see here in the photo of Michael with the University president. So what did Michael want to do next? He wanted to be a game show host. He made the circuits on national TV. My favorite one was of him with Jay Leno on the Tonight Show. Michael did go on to get two masters degrees, first in chemistry at age 14 and the second in computer science at age 18.
JENNY GRADUATED TOO!
But another graduation also took place during this time! Jenny completed her BA and this was a big occasion for our family. To celebrate, Bill and Jonathan shaved their heads (with my help) to surprise her! Bill's dad came from California too, but he didn't have to shave his head! But we all celebrated!
One of the chapters I was asked to author for the special education textbook was on students who were gifted. Each chapter in the text had one student in focus who exemplified that characteristic. I was told about a gifted student, 9 years old, who was doing an anthropology major at the university and scheduled to graduate with his BA in the spring. Well, that seemed hard to believe, but I got the contact information and arranged with his mom to come out and meet him and discuss how we could tell their story in the book.
I expected to see a boy looking bespectacled, kind of like Harry Potter, with his head buried in a book. When I was invited in by mama, Cassidy Kearney, I saw two kids running and jumping all over. I asked her where Michael was, thinking these must be siblings. She pointed at the boy and said, "That's Michael." As it turned out, he and younger sister Maeghan had been home-schooled to keep them focused and not pushed. Michael's story is pretty impressive. His sister Maeghan is pretty amazing herself. I did a lot of work with both of them.
It turned out to be a great chapter and I learned more about kids who are gifted than anyone. Michael and I became good friends and in the years ahead he and I, along with Maeghan, worked together on some research and writing and publishing. His parents and I, Kevin and Cassidy, later authored an article on Michael. They also wrote a book about him called Accidental Genius.
One joy was also getting to know them as a family, and as kids who were real kids. One evening in our home (photo below) I told Michael that I was praying that God would provide him a good mentor. I wanted someone who could take Michael and shepherd him through the academic loopholes. Michael looked at me and said he already had one! I was surprised and asked who it was. He said that I was the mentor. I asked how that was possible as I was not an anthropology major. He said that I was his mentor in kindness and friendship and that was more important. That was one of the greatest compliments I've ever received.
Graduation came. We were all proud of Michael. He had conquered many challenges to get to this point. The university was proud of Michael too, as you can see here in the photo of Michael with the University president. So what did Michael want to do next? He wanted to be a game show host. He made the circuits on national TV. My favorite one was of him with Jay Leno on the Tonight Show. Michael did go on to get two masters degrees, first in chemistry at age 14 and the second in computer science at age 18.
JENNY GRADUATED TOO!
But another graduation also took place during this time! Jenny completed her BA and this was a big occasion for our family. To celebrate, Bill and Jonathan shaved their heads (with my help) to surprise her! Bill's dad came from California too, but he didn't have to shave his head! But we all celebrated!
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