These child prodigies are taking on the world

By Jessica Severin de Martinez,

Published June 29, 2022 at 11:23 AM EDT

Tanitoluwa Adewumi, an 11-year-old Nigerian-American chess prodigy and chess master, stands smiling with a trophy in his hand.

1 of 3 — Tanitoluwa Adewumi: an 11-year-old Nigerian-American chess prodigy and chess master, who co-wrote My Name Is Tani . . . and I Believe in Miracles: The Amazing True Story of One Boy’s Journey from Refugee to Chess Champion.

Tanitoluwa Adewumi: an 11-year-old Nigerian-American chess prodigy and chess master, who co-wrote 'My Name Is Tani . . . and I Believe in Miracles: The Amazing True Story of One Boy’s Journey from Refugee to Chess Champion.'

Courtesy of Tanitoluwa Adewumi

2 of 3 — Tanishq Abraham: began community college at 7, and got his BS in biomedical engineering at 14 years old. He is now an 18-year-old PhD candidate in biomedical engineering at the University of California, Davis Tiara Abraham: began community college at 7, and is now a 16-year-old graduate at the University of California, Davis with a Bachelor’s in Vocal Performance

Tanishq Abraham began community college at 7, and got his BS in biomedical engineering at 14 years old. He is now an 18-year-old PhD candidate in biomedical engineering at the University of California, Davis. Tiara Abraham began community college at 7, and is now a 16-year-old graduate at the University of California, Davis with a Bachelor’s in Vocal Performance.

Dr. Taji Abraham

3 of 3 — Kashe Quest: became the youngest member of Mensa at the age of 2. She just turned 4. Sukhjit Athwal: Kashe’s mom, and Founder of The Modern Schoolhouse in Los Angeles.

Kashe Quest: became the youngest member of Mensa at the age of 2. She just turned 4. Sukhjit Athwal: Kashe’s mom, and Founder of The Modern Schoolhouse in Los Angeles.

What’s it like to be a child prodigy?

In this episode, you’ll meet a boy who became a chess master at the age of ten, a pair of siblings who started college at seven years old, and one of the youngest members of the high-IQ society, Mensa, who joined it when she was two.

GUESTS:

Tanitoluwa Adewumi: an 11-year-old Nigerian-American chess prodigy and chess master, who co-wrote My Name Is Tani . . . and I Believe in Miracles: The Amazing True Story of One Boy’s Journey from Refugee to Chess Champion
Tanishq Abraham: began community college at 7, and got his BS in biomedical engineering at 14 years old. He is now an 18-year-old PhD candidate in biomedical engineering at the University of California, Davis
Tiara Abraham: began community college at 7, and is now a 16-year-old graduate at the University of California, Davis with a Bachelor’s in Vocal Performance
Kashe Quest: became the youngest member of Mensa at the age of 2. She just turned 4
Sukhjit Athwal: Kashe’s mom, and Founder of The Modern Schoolhouse in Los Angeles

Jessica Severin de Martinez, Catie Talarski, Anya Grondalski, and Mira Raju contributed to this show.

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