Recently, Jacob Young, a Colorado boy, was accepted into a prestigious and exclusive high-IQ society called Mensa. He is only 5 years old but scored in the top one percent on the intelligence test.
Jacob Young is part of a military family living in Monument. His favorite subjects are airplanes, sharks, deep space, and the Titanic. While these topics may not be unusual for a 5-year-old, Jacob wants to know the mechanics of how airplanes work and which shark species are the fastest—questions that even challenge his parents.
The Youngs moved to Monument in 2018. His father, Joshua, is an intelligence officer in the Space Force. His mother, Renee, is a former data analyst. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
“He watches documentaries with us. He loves the History Channel,” said Renee Young. “The conversations are like the ones you might have in a high school or college class, but they’re with our 5-year-old at the dinner table.”
Jacob is a kindergartener at Prairie Winds Elementary School, where Aileen Finnegan is the interim principal.
“I was in his kindergarten class last week and noticed the students were writing books, crafting simple sentences, and telling a story with details. Jacob’s topic was World War II airplanes,” said Finnegan.
His parents had a doctor evaluate his IQ and giftedness.
“The doctor who tested Jacob said, ‘You can start looking into organizations, and I’ll send you recommendations; there are magnet schools, groups, and Mensa. This could be a great option to help him connect with like-minded peers and challenge him outside the school environment,’” said Renee Young.
With around 150,000 members across 90 countries, only those who score within the top 2% of the general population on an approved intelligence test qualify for Mensa. Jacob took the test, which lasted several hours.
“We found out a few weeks later that he was accepted. It’s amazing and exciting,” said Renee Young.
He scored in the 1%.
Jacob, a boy who keeps asking questions, challenges even his parents, whose goal is to continue nurturing his young mind.
“I hope he keeps challenging us and keeps us on our toes,” said Joshua Young.
An IQ practice test is available through Mensa.
Image: Wflx
