Serving as a Judge for the Mensa Foundation Scholarship Program (Again!)
Feb 16, 2026
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be serving as a judge for the Mensa Foundation’s 2026 Scholarship Program — my second year in this role.
And truly, it feels like an honor.
As someone who works closely with gifted and twice-exceptional children every day, this experience carries extra meaning for me. I don’t just read these essays as a judge. I read them as someone who understands the inner world behind the words.
Gifted and 2e young people are often deeply complex. They think expansively. They feel intensely. They wrestle with big questions about identity, purpose, justice, belonging, and contribution. They are not one-dimensional achievers — they are layered, reflective, creative humans becoming themselves.
Scholarship essays are often seen as academic tasks. Something to complete. Something to polish.
But when I read them, I see something much deeper.
I see identity formation unfolding on the page.
These essays are not just about grades or accomplishments. They are windows into who these young people are becoming.
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