Pasadena, CA – 09/18/2024 – The Institute for Educational Advancement (IEA), a national nonprofit dedicated to the intellectual, creative, and personal growth of the nation’s gifted and advanced learners, continues its 22-year tradition of providing fully funded high school scholarships to gifted eighth graders through the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship (CDB). The 26 recipients in the class of 2029 are offered the four-year high school scholarship to attend an optimally matched high school or individualized education program to help them work toward meeting their unique intellectual and personal goals. It is one of the few merit-based, need-blind scholarships of its kind in the United States. In addition to the tuition funding, each Scholar receives ongoing, personalized counseling and educational advocacy, and joins a lifelong network of their peers.

“Beyond the monetary support the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship provides, it also means these bright young minds will become part of the IEA community as they continue on their educational journey,” said Deborah Monroe, President, IEA. “We work closely with the students and their families to foster their lifelong love of learning and look forward to seeing how they develop their talents and share them with the world.”

Interested seventh grade students apply for the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship and complete a rigorous portfolio application process, which includes essays, middle school transcripts, letters of recommendation, and a work sample. Eligible applicants must also achieve scores at the highest level on nationally normed standardized tests. Applications are reviewed by the Caroline D. Bradley selection committee, a diverse group of nationwide high school and university admissions directors, teachers and administrators, CDB alumni, community members, and business leaders.

“The potential this year’s class of Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship holds is limitless,” said Mallory Aldrich, Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship Senior Program Manager at IEA. “They are innovators, problem-solvers, and leaders who have already made great impacts in their communities. I know that this scholarship will give them even more opportunities to expand their minds and lean into their curiosities and shape the world for the better.”

Over the course of the next several months, IEA staff, current CDB Scholars and CDB alumni will provide guidance and assistance to the entering class of 2029 Scholars as they begin to identify potential high school programs, complete applications, and prepare their individualized educational plans for next year’s high school entrance.

2029 Caroline D. Bradley Scholars:

• Brennan Bosita – Dallas, TX
• Sofia Castro – Downey, CA
• Caroline Gao – Milpitas, CA
• Gavin Gracey – Perry Hall, MD
• Leila Guillemet – Los Angeles, CA
• Ronald Hart III – Brambleton, VA
• Elijah Hurst – Riverside, CA
• Tina Jin – Cupertino, CA
• Olivia Kaiser – Fairhope, AL
• Reva Khaire – Charlotte, NC
• Elisha Lee – Wilmette, IL
• Atticus Lin – San Francisco, CA
• Nova Macknik-Conde – Brooklyn, NY
• Sebastian Mank – Warren, ME
• Tiger Maxu – Los Angeles, CA
• Clifford McCartney – Chicago, IL
• Carolyn Miller – Bellevue, WA
• Sam Pfeil – Malvern, PA
• Nicholas Pistun – Gainesville, VA
• Max Richmond – Royal Oak, MI
• Bowen Shan – Chandler, AZ
• Lexi Shaw – Gilbert, AZ
• Vivienne Stewart – Hermosa Beach, CA
• Maxim Swinton – Bergen County, NJ
• Ethan Leonard Wadley – Lithia Springs, GA
• Anna Yang – Austin, TX

Currently, there are over 300 alumni, many of whom have graduated from college and are in the workforce, attending graduate school or participating in international service and fellowship programs. The scholarship is generously funded by the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation.

The application for the next class of Caroline D. Bradley Scholars will be available in the fall. 

About the Institute for Educational Advancement

The Institute for Educational Advancement (IEA) is dedicated to the intellectual, creative, and personal growth of our nation’s gifted and high-potential youth. Central to the mission of IEA is a commitment to the development of the whole child through engaging educational experiences that promote optimal challenge, mentorship, exploration of ideas, and recognition of personal potential. IEA seeks to connect gifted individuals through dynamic and engaging year-round programming. Additionally, IEA supports a diverse community that creates a sense of belonging and affirmation. For more information, visit www.educationaladvancement.org. 

About the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship Program

IEA’s Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship Program is one of the few U.S. high school scholarship programs that is need-blind and awarded solely on the basis of merit to highly gifted seventh graders. Since its inception in 2002, the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship has served over 400 students with academic and personal support, high school tuition and a lifelong network for mentorship and peer connections.

Contact

Kat Kirsch
Institute for Educational Advancement
(626) 403-8900 or kkirsch@educationaladvancement.org

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: Caroline D. Bradley Scholars Class of 2028

Following a rigorous application process, twenty-seven 2027 Caroline D. Bradley (CDB) Scholars were selected from a nationwide pool of highly qualified, accomplished young people who will be entering high school in the fall of 2023. The new cohort of CDB Scholars are:

• Abigail Hurst from Riverside, California
• Ansel Effah from New York, New York
• Antonia Elliott from Naches, Washington
• Aubrey Ewing from Chicago, Illinois
• Bellen Anastas from Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• David Hadi from Burbank, California
• Nikki Primiani from Santa Monica, California
• Dominic Gasper from Zionsville, Indiana
• Edward Zhang from Irvine, California
• Freya Bikel from Los Angeles, California
• Jack Gonzalez from St. Michaels, Maryland
• Justin Kearse from Bronx, New York
• Kai (Tiger) Wang from Princeton, New Jersey
• Kiye Corbitt from Washington, D.C.
• Lenah Faustin from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Linda Pistun from Gainesville, Virginia
• Margaret (Molly) Svrluga from Washington, D.C.
• Marin Lohner from Manhattan Beach, California
• Nia Guillemet from Los Angeles, California
• Santiago Soto from Montebello, California
• Shantanu Jha from Waycross, Georgia
• Shreyan Jain from Santa Clara, California
• Taryn Hwang from Los Altos, California
• Trillian Creath from Phoenix, Arizona
• Vikram Goudar from Virginia Beach, Virginia
• Warren Edwards II from Atlanta, Georgia
• Waverly Lansford from Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Each of the new CDB Scholars represents the highest ideals of scholarship, character, leadership, community service and personal achievement in passions including athletics, research, debate, peer tutoring, robotics, engineering, website design, coding and visual and performing arts.
The class of 2027 CDB Scholars has the distinction of being the twentieth Scholar class selected since 2002’s inaugural class.

What are some educational, personal and professional highlights and/or accomplishments of yours since graduating from high school?

I’ve been lucky to spend most of my time since graduating from high school as a student. At Harvard College, I was mentored by amazing professors in the history department, read lots of old books in archival libraries, helped to create an honor code system, and met friends with interests from astrophysics to Slavic literature that I still keep in touch with. I then spent a year at the University of Cambridge, where I donned long black robes for candlelit dinners in centuries-old halls, traveled across Europe, and lived with other graduate students from all over the world. I am now in my final year at Stanford Law School, where I have worked in legal clinics, interned for a federal judge, and learned how to use Zoom! None of this would have been possible without the support of the IEA team (particularly Bonnie!) and the CDB Scholarship while I was in high school.

What is a favorite IEA/CDB memory?

During high school, the CDB Seminar was a major highlight of my year. I loved getting to know the other scholars, learning about their interests, and hearing about their experiences in high schools across the country. We always had a good time together, whether we were wandering the Freedom Trail in Boston, scavenger-hunting through the San Diego Zoo, making ourselves sick tasting variations of Coke at the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta, or exploring the laboratories of Silicon Valley startups. We had a great time during off hours, too. My best memory is from one night during my first Seminar, when the freshman cohort of Scholars stayed up together into the early hours of the morning getting to know each other in the hotel’s emergency stairwell. Eventually, we were sent to our rooms by hotel staff responding to noise complaints. The Scholar community includes a wide range of clever, curious people, and it was so much fun to get to know them for the first time.

What words of wisdom would you pass on to current IEA students?

First: value relationships with the advisers and mentors that you will meet as members of the IEA community. As a CDB Scholar, Bonnie Raskin was my most important counselor and confidant from high school placement onward, and our monthly email correspondence became my greatest impetus for self-reflection and greatest source of support. Students across IEA programs have access to incredible mentors and should seek out the transformative relationships they can form with those mentors.

Second: invest in relationships with other students within the IEA community. As a CDB Scholar, I met curious and compelling high school students from all over the country, and I know the same can be said for participants in other IEA programs. You never know when the people you meet through IEA will reappear in your life. For example, I reconnected with a fellow CDB Scholar on a backpacking trip in college, and we became (and are still) close friends. That wouldn’t have happened were it not for our initial introduction through IEA.

I’m Isaiah Schrader, a 2012 Caroline D. Bradley Scholar from Scarborough, New York. After receiving the scholarship in 8th grade, I attended the Trinity School, a day school on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, where I discovered my passion for the culture, history, and languages of East Asia.

In 2017, I matriculated at Yale College. Although I took classes in a wide variety of subjects — from game theory to poetry, and political theory to economics — I ended up pursuing a double major in Philosophy and East Asian Languages and Literature. I focused mostly on the philosophy of early modern Europe and late imperial China: my senior thesis reexamined the thought of the 16th century Chinese philosopher Wang Yangming.

Like many of my peers in the humanities, I had some trouble figuring out what to do next — our paths are often far from linear. Ultimately, after graduating in 2021, I decided to continue pursuing my academic interest in China, and entered a two year Masters program at Harvard, where I study the intellectual history of Song and Ming Dynasty China. My hope is to stay for a PhD after graduating in 2023.

 I am so grateful for the generosity of the IEA community and the Bradley Scholarship in allowing me to receive a top-notch education, and I often reflect on the ways in which their support has had a profound impact on my life. Thanks so much to Bonnie, Betsy, Mallory, and the rest of the team for everything they do.

THE INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT ANNOUNCES 29 RECIPIENTS FOR NATIONWIDE HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP

The announcement of the latest class of Caroline D. Bradley (CDB) scholars is always a big deal here at IEA, and 2021 was no different. Last year, we announced 29 selections across the United States.

WHAT GOES INTO SELECTING A CAROLINE D. BRADLEY SCHOLAR?

Of course, interest at the very beginning of the CDB process is very high. Almost one full year ago, Bonnie Raskin gave applicants some additional insight about how a scholar is selected. It is sure to be helpful even to 2022 applicants!

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS

Our bite-sized alumni interviews proved to be very popular. In 2021, you especially liked our features on Valerie Ding, Caitlin Andrews, Sophia Barron and Scott Greenberg!

CDB CLASS OF ’21 – COLLEGE PLANS

When it came to college application season, our CDB Class of 2021 was incredibly successful. Here’s an accounting of where our talented scholars were headed!

BREATHING TECHNIQUES TO HELP CALM THE OVERACTIVE MIND

For those that needed a little help dealing with the year, our very own Nancy Kane used her professional yoga expertise to give some insight on breathing exercises. 

RESOURCE ROUND-UP: 7 RESOURCES FOR GIFTED GIRLS

We kicked off Women’s History Month last year with this handy post detailing links parents of gifted girls can check out. It’s got everything from essay contests to summer programs and more!

UNDERSTANDING SCREEN TIME AND GAMING FOR GIFTED STUDENTS

A lot of families are, understandably, interested in how video games and screen time can best be fit into their child’s schedule. In this post, we try to add some insight and provide resources for making these decisions.

COMICS FOR LITERACY

Comics are a fun, engaging and deep genre of literature. They’re also ideal for children at all reading levels! Here are some reading recommendations we made last year.

HOW TO FRAME PRAISE FOR CREATIVE YOUTH

There’s a lot of nuance in how you can give a child praise. In this post, we try to convey and expand upon a lesson learned in How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen by Joanna Faber and Adele King.

SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL WELL BEING AMIDST THE PANDEMIC

The pandemic remains top of mind for many of us, and we want the community to know we’re here for support. In this post, we’ve curated a list of resources that might help with coping with the various stresses and uncertainties: podcasts, blogs, books and more. They’re strong resources for all kinds of heightened and tense feelings.

Thanks to everyone for reading our blog in 2021. We’re certain you’ll love what we have in store for the coming year.

Students apply for the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship in the seventh grade and are required to complete a rigorous portfolio application process, which includes essays, middle school transcripts, letters of recommendations, and a work sample. Eligible applicants must also achieve scores at or above the 97th percentile on nationally normed standardized tests.

“The Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship is a wonderful opportunity to not only financially support some of the brightest young minds in the country, but to welcome them into a nurturing community,” said Elizabeth Jones, President and Co-Founder of IEA. “It’s a key part of our mission to support gifted youth so that they can become thought leaders, problem solvers and successful individuals.” 

The CDB selection committee is comprised of a diverse group of nationwide high school and university admissions directors, CDB alumni, community members, and business leaders. The rigorous selection process took place over the course of several months, wherein the committee met both virtually and in-person to review scholarship applications and interview candidates.

Over the course of the next several months, IEA staff, current CDB Scholars and CDB alumni will provide guidance and assistance to the entering class of 2026 Scholars as they begin to identify potential high school programs, complete applications, and prepare their individualized educational plans for next year’s high school entrance.

“Every year, we’re fortunate to get to know and work with a new crop of highly gifted and motivated middle school students,” said Bonnie Raskin, Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship Program Director at IEA. “We want these individuals to develop their unique voice and channel their passion into a bright future, and our goal is to be alongside them every step of the way.”

The program, which began in 2002 and is generously funded by The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, is one of the few merit-based, need-blind scholarships of its kind in the United States. To date, IEA has awarded more than 350 scholarships to gifted learners and alumni who are already making their mark on the world. Currently, there are 225 alumni, 125 of whom have graduated from college and are in the work force, attending graduate school, or participating in international service and fellowship programs.

The application for the next class of Caroline D. Bradley Scholars will be available in November 2021.

2026 Caroline D. Bradley Scholars: 

• Daniel Baek, Arcadia, California
• Ziv Bard, Los Angeles, California
• Mae Beauvoir, Seattle, Washington
• Daryn Burnette, Trinity, Florida
• Alicia Chen, Palo Alto, California
• Audrey Cho, Oradell, New Jersey
• Colin Chu, Palo Alto, California
• Nola Foran, Studio City, California
• Matthew Gao, Skillman, New Jersey
• Zarah Guillemet, Los Angeles, California
• Henry He, Andover, Massachusetts
• Michael Larson, Flower Mound, Texas
• Kayla Ling, Hillsborough, California
• Sydney Mafong, San Diego, California
• Joshua Mak, New York, New York
• Vishnu Mangipudi, Bellevue, Washington
• Sahara Muhammad, Somerset, New Jersey
• Allison Nieves, Rosemead, California
• Thomas Nordahl, Westwood, Massachusetts
• Amirah Ogweta, Portland, Maine
• Anya Reppa, Mequon, Wisconsin
• Juniper Rogers, Tulsa, Oklahoma
• Tiffany Sun, Exeter, New Hampshire
• Alex Tran, Hillsboro, Oregon
• Ava Truong, Wichita, Kansas
• Stephanie Wang, Forest Hills, New York
• Sriya Wint, Las Vegas, Nevada
• Brandon Xu, Simpsonville, South Carolina
• Christopher Zeng, Longmeadow, Massachusetts

For more information about this scholarship or any of IEA’s other programs and services, visit www.ieastaging2.wpengine.com.

About the Institute for Educational Advancement

The Institute for Educational Advancement (IEA) is dedicated to the intellectual, creative, and personal growth of our nation’s gifted and high-potential youth. Central to the mission of IEA is a commitment to the development of the whole child through engaging educational experiences that promote optimal challenge, mentorship, exploration of ideas, and recognition of personal potential. IEA seeks to connect like-minded individuals through dynamic and engaging year-round programming. Additionally, IEA supports a diverse community that creates a sense of belonging and affirmation. For more information, visit www.educationaladavancement.org.

About the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship Program

IEA’s Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship Program is one of the few U.S. high school scholarship programs that is need-blind and awarded solely on the basis of merit to highly gifted seventh graders. Since its inception in 2002, the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship has served over 350 students with academic and social support, high school tuition and a lifelong network for mentorship and peer connections.

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What are some educational, personal and professional highlights and/or accomplishments of yours since graduating from high school?

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 14 years since I was selected as a CDB Scholar! I graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy in 2012 and went on to study biology at Harvard. Studying animal behavior was my lifelong dream, so it was kind of like being shot out of a cannon: I filled up my schedule with classes on animal behavior, cognition, ecology, and conservation. I also had some incredible opportunities to participate in research, working with gray parrots, dogs, and a variety of primates, including spider monkeys in Mexico for my senior thesis! Outside of class, one of my favorite ways to relax and unwind was playing percussion with The Harvard Undergraduate Drummers (THUD).

After graduating in 2016, I was fortunate to receive a Gates Cambridge Scholarship to attend the University of Cambridge for my PhD. Hopping across the pond, I was immediately immersed in the incredible culture of the UK – but I didn’t stay for long! My research took me to New Zealand, where I worked with an international team to help improve the conservation of hihi, a threatened bird found nowhere else in the world. One of the highlights of my PhD was taking part in a reintroduction project which established a new population of hihi – only the seventh in the world!

Due to the pandemic, I finished my PhD from home in Massachusetts this past January. I’m hoping to embark on another conservation project soon. But, for now, I’m enjoying some time to breathe and recharge. For me, this mostly means hanging out with my 14-year-old pit bull, JsuJsu, who has very patiently put up with me being away for the last four years!

What is a favorite IEA/CDB memory?

Every CDB seminar was special, but a personal favorite was from one year when the seminar theme related to celebrating different personality types. Everyone took a Myers-Briggs personality test before the seminar. Once we were finally gathered in the conference room, Bonnie and Betsy asked us to move to one side of the room if we scored an “I” on the first portion of the test and the other side of the room if we scored an “E.” I lined up silently with my fellow “I’s,” awaiting further instruction, while the “E’s” chatted noisily on the other side of the room. It was then that Betsy revealed that “I” stood for introvert and “E” for extrovert. Everyone burst out laughing – suddenly, the distinct behaviors of each side of the room made a lot of sense!

We had some truly eye-opening conversations at that seminar. For so long, I had been that quiet kid in class who the teachers inevitably had to ask to speak up. I remember being super nervous in my CDB interview, thinking that I would never get the scholarship because I was too quiet or shy. But, all throughout my time as a scholar, including at that seminar, I felt that I was appreciated for who I was. I didn’t need to be loud or bold to be appreciated and understood by CDB staff and my fellow scholars. We were all celebrated for the things that made us unique.

What words of wisdom would you pass on to current IEA students?

It gets said a lot, but it’s true – follow your passions! And, if you’re not sure what your passions are, keep exploring! I was lucky to know early on what I wanted to do for a career, but I have always explored new hobbies, holding onto some and letting go of others as I figure out what feeds my soul. Life is much more fulfilling when you enjoy what you do, and you will be able to give so much more to the world if you’re following your bliss!

What are some educational, personal and professional highlights and/or accomplishments of yours since graduating from high school?

I can’t believe it’s been more than 10 years now since I graduated from Andover! Since then, I graduated from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., where I was able to gain unique work experience at various internships at national and global nonprofits and NGOs before I entered the working world.Since graduating from college, I’ve worked in content and product marketing at tech companies including 2U Inc. and HubSpot, and I currently work at Owl Labs, where we make intelligent 360° video conferencing cameras to support hybrid collaboration (which has become extremely important in the last year).

After living and working in Washington, D.C. and Denver, Colorado after college, I moved back to the Boston area five years ago, and my husband and I got married and moved into our first home together in 2020.
 

What is a favorite IEA/CDB memory?

I have so many wonderful memories from my time as a CDB Scholar, and now, a CDB alum.

During my senior year of high school, the annual CDB seminar was held in Cambridge, MA, and everyone participated in an incredibly challenging and fun scavenger hunt that I still remember when I’m trying to find my way around a new part of the city. At another seminar as an alum, we celebrated the 20th anniversary of IEA at the Barder House in Pasadena, and it was so powerful and humbling to hear from IEA founders, staff, and benefactors and see the impact IEA has had on so many kids and families over the years.

On a more personal level, I attended my first CDB wedding in 2019, and it was so fun to celebrate such an important milestone with friends I’ve had for almost 15 years.

What words of wisdom would you pass on to current IEA students?

The friendships I built with other CDB Scholars and students at Andover are some of my strongest and longest-lasting friendships today, despite being separated by distance and not seeing them in-person very often. By taking the time to invest in relationships with your peers and IEA teachers and staff while you’re a student, you can maintain these connections wherever you go next in the world. 

There’s little disagreement that the past year-plus has had its share of challenges and obstacles brought on by the pandemic. While few demographics were spared, student were hit especially hard by the demands of virtual school and the almost complete lack of campus and outside activities and socialization with friends and classmates. Until very recently, this year’s graduating class of high school seniors were pretty much “flying blind” to quote a CDB Scholar when it came to visiting any college and university. And those rare campuses that did allow visitors on site offered no campus tours, in person interviews or informational sessions outside of Zoom webinars, with their student community attending virtual classes.

High school seniors also faced the reality that many of the nation’s highly selective colleges and universities dealt with a surge in applications, as the previously mandated SAT and ACT tests were optional for the 2021 application year. This resulted in applicants who previously would not have met test standards stipulated at certain universities and colleges took the attitude of “what do I have to lose?” and applied to schools that in another year might have been out of reach by virtue of their test scores.

In spite of this changing college application landscape, the CDB high school seniors—the class of 2021—persevered and figured out alternative ways to conduct their college research. As a class, they applied to over sixty colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. Many of the senior Scholars reached out to CDB alumni who currently attend the colleges and universities they were interested in learning more about from insiders at the various schools. I was delighted to hear back from many CDB seniors that the CDB alumni not only responded to their inquiries by phone, email and Zoom sessions, but also reached out to them to let the seniors know who they were and what particular schools they attend to start a dialogue. As more schools opened up in April and May, some of the seniors were able to visit the colleges where they were admitted and meet with CDB alums in person—masked and safely socially distanced.

This year’s CDB seniors will matriculate to colleges and universities throughout the United States and abroad, schools that match their academic interests and offer them the opportunity to pursue ongoing areas of interest as well as many course possibilities to explore. One CDB  Scholar will be taking a gap year and plans to pursue advanced educational and service projects before starting college in 2022. Another CDB Scholar will be attending Oxford University in England.

CDB Scholars from the class of 2021 have been recognized with multiple academic, service and achievement awards and recognition including Presidential Scholars, National Merit Scholar Finalists, Valedictorians and Saluditorians of their class as well as matriculating to honors programs at their upcoming colleges and universities.

CDB welcomed ten new schools and programs to our international list of colleges and universities attended by CDB Scholars since the inaugural class of 2002 Scholars. Here is a list of the schools and programs the CDB class of 2021 will attend this coming fall. Several Scholars are still deciding among their admission options:

• Brown University
• Brown University’s PLME program (an eight year program for students who are committed to a career in medicine and who also want a broad liberal arts education)
• Bryn Mawr College
• Columbia University
• California University of Technology
• Columbia University
• Georgetown University
• George Washington University
• Harvard College
• Macalister College
• Oxford University
• Stanford University
• University of Florida Stamps Scholar Program
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of Pennsylvania Management and Technology Program
• University of Texas  Agriculture and Mechanical Honors Program
• Washington and Lee University
• Webb Institute
• Wellesley College
• Whitman College

The IEA and CDB communities wish our graduating high School seniors a successful and engaging next chapter of their lives and look forward to staying in contact with them as they continue to thrive.