Natasha Perianayagam is a student at Glorence M. Gaudineer Middle School in New Jersey. In the spring of 2021, for the first time, she took part in the Johns Hopkins Center For Talented Youth (CTY) when was in grade 5.

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

In her latest attempt, Natasha Perianayagam scored the highest grades among all candidates. Her results in the verbal and quantitative sections leveled with the 90th percentile of advanced Grade 8 performance, which catapulted her into the honors list that year. This year, she was honored for her exceptional performance on the SAT, ACT, School and College Ability Test, or similar assessment taken as part of the CTY Talent Search, the university said in a press release on Monday.

Based on the results of the above grade level tests of over 15,000 students across 76 countries, the Indian-American Schoolgirl Natasha Perianayagam was named the ‘world’s brightest’ student list for the consecutive year by the US-based Johns Hopkins Center For Talented Youth.

“This is not just recognition of our student’s success on one test, but a salute to their love of discovery and learning, and all the knowledge they have accumulated in their young lives so far,” said CTY’s executive director Dr. Amy Shelton. “It is exciting to think about all the ways in which they will use that potential to discover their passions, engage in rewarding and enriching experiences, and achieve remarkable things — in their communities and in the world,” she added.

Natasha Perianayagam, 13, whose parents hail from Chennai, said she loves doodling and reading JRR Tolkien’s novels in her spare time.

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