Mani Chadaga slumped low in his front-row seat on the first day of algebra, and pretended to read his new textbook, but he could only make himself so unnoticeable. He was a second grader in a junior high math class at the St. Paul's Capitol Hill Gifted and Talented Magnet School.
A third grader who is taking Algebra II and Geometry, Mani quickly got over his shyness and soon was coming up with solutions to the teachers problems and helping classmates solve answers.
Mani's parents, Vivek and Juila Chadaga wonder how they will keep things interesting for Mani in the future, not only in classroom but outside of it as well. Mani has done well at the St. Paul Capitol Hill Gifted and Talented Magnet School, showing how schools have responded to advanced learners like Mani, but he is constantly challenging himself.
I am not the best at anything, so I want to improve at everything," said the 8-year-old to the Pioneer Press.
His curiousity for numbers started around 2 or 3, when his parents say he invented a mythology around numbers and even was a number 4 as a Halloween costume. As Mani has grown up he asked questions about the practically of math, and he has devised ways to use math in the real world with his father by measuring shadows or swing sets.
Heidi Geimer hopes the school system will find ways to continue to push Mani academically, but she doesn't doubt he will keep pushing himself. She said, "with Mani, you know in your heart of hearts he's going to grow up and do good for the world."
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