Jon was a scholar/athlete. A talented football player with a critical mind, he embraced his dual identity as a scholarly athlete and an athletic scholar—even when others pushed him to choose one or the other. He worked smart and hard, thought critically on and off the field, and set high goals for himself. He dreamed of attending an Ivy League college, one that held top tier status in both STEM research and athletics. He also distinguished himself over other student-athletes who felt compelled to prioritize their academic ability over athletic identity or vice versa.
Fostering the Multi-Potential Child
Jon displayed what many gifted children do: multi-potentiality.1 The multi-potential child excels in two or more different fields, be it football and math, painting and English, or chess and chemistry. These multiple interests, if not fostered appropriately, could disadvantage the gifted student, who may find it hard to choose or focus his many passions and talents.
Parents, positioned as a child’s first teacher, inaugurate the nurturing process of the gifted student’s multiple interests, talents, and potential.2 With careful planning and support systems, parents can promote their gifted child’s dual identity, while also fostering academic excellence, talent development, and maximizing potential.
In Counseling Gifted and Talented Students, Nicholas Colangelo suggests that parents, educators, and counselors help high-ability individuals with multiple talents in four ways:3
Some gifted students have very focused career interests at an early age while others do not develop them until late high school or start of college.4 Research does not indicate an advantage to either.
However, for those students who are ready to seriously pursue dual interests, how can parents help map out a plan of action so that their child will not have to sacrifice one interest for the other? The chart on page 20 offers sample scope and sequence planning for talent development in areas as diverse as athletics and global awareness.
This is a scaffolded approach to supporting your multi-potential child that provides information and resources from middle school to the end of high school. This type of approach provides your child with a long-term plan and provides him confidence in his dual talents, enabling him to advocate for himself in an educational environment that often does not support the dual identity of the multi-potential child. In fact, many children are labeled “underachievers,” when in fact they are uniquely skilled at prioritizing sometimes competing priorities. Sample Scope & Sequence for Talent Development This chart is intended to provide sample ideas of ways to nurture talent development from middle school through high school in students with multiple interests. It’s important to remember that all gifted students are not alike. Parents need to know their child and their child’s capacity to juggle multiple areas of interest. If your student exhibits signs of anxiety or stress, it may be time to reconsider and readjust.
Jon’s Story: A STEM-Scholar Athlete
Jon was born and raised in the southeastern part of the United States where the culture of sports takes on a life of its own. Jon’s athletic identity development is evident as far back as 3 months old in baby pictures taken with football props.
As early as elementary school, Jon was referred to by his teachers as a leader and academically unique in his approach to learning. They noted his particularly high math problem-solving skills and creative thinking.1 Jon’s parents complemented his formal educational experience with a scaffold approach to identity and talent development. In the early years, academic and athletic development was a vehicle for play and bonding time. As Jon grew, they used both for skill development to nurture character building, leadership, and critical thinking.
They discovered that the brain fascinated Jon, and the way people rationalize thinking and decision-making. They found authentic ways for him to research and explore college majors and career choices; he competed in essay competitions related to career awareness; and they incorporated college visits and academic sightseeing into family vacations.
In middle school, his parents limited Jon to two extra-curricular activities each season. Summers were spent exploring additional topics and subjects that interested him through elective course enrollment and study abroad trips.
Going into high school, Jon had mapped out all of the appropriate courses he felt he needed to prepare for a major in neuroscience or biopsychology. His football teammates referred to him as the “mad scientist,” describing how his academic and athletic identity seamlessly intertwined.
Jon’s junior year was a critical one with entrance exams, scholarship applications, and athletic camps. Jon’s day began at 5:30 a.m. with football conditioning. After a full day of classes, he went to football practice followed by long hours of completing homework, studying, and/or working on projects. In addition, on the weekends he decided to work a part-time job as a “scare” actor for a local theme park. He mastered important skills such as time management, organization, and prioritization. That year he was named a Dr. Martin D. Jenkins Scholar by the Special Populations Network of the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC).2 He was named Defensive Player of the Year for his high school, and ranked as the #3 Linebacker in the region.
Jon ended the first semester of his senior year with a list of his top three college choices that included an Ivy League school, a military academy, and a prestigious, private college. Just in time for National Letter of Intent (NLI) day, or Likely Letter as referred by the Ivies, Jon secured early admissions to commit to the tier one college of choice (where he later earned the league’s Defensive Player of the Week during his freshman year).
Jon lettered all four years in high school varsity football and track, and graduated in the Top 10% of his class, having developed a very diverse academic portfolio that included magnet program enrollment; study-abroad and global studies; summer enrichment courses; dual-enrollment, joint-enrollment, gifted and AP courses; credit by exam; and a state-endorsed career pathway in career, technology, agriculture, and engineering (CTAE). Familiar with service learning theory and the benefits of vertical mentoring,3 Jon’s parents encouraged him to apply what he learned in class and his talents to serve his community by developing a tutoring program for athletes, an SAT/ ACT prep program, and a program that promoted pre-teen awareness about distracted and drunk driving.
Jon continues his education with over half a million dollars earned in academic scholarships to fund his pursuit of undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral-level degrees. Jon’s story confirms that if you are athletically talented, academically gifted, and well-rounded in potentiality, you can take your place among the best. 1 Collins, K. H., & Grantham, T. (2014). Creative mindfulness in STEM talent development. Gifted Education Press Quarterly, 2(3), 10–14. 2 More about Dr. Martin Jenkins Awards Scholar Program and the application process: https://www.nagc.org/get-involved/ nagc-networks-and-special-interest-groups/networks-specialpopulations/dr-martin-d 3 More on benefits of vertical and hybrid mentoring strategies: Collins, K. H., Price, E., Hanson, L., & Neaves, D. (manuscript accepted). Consequences of stereotype threat & imposter syndrome in STEM: The journey from STEM-professional to STEM-educator for four women of color.
Effectively Nurturing Multi-Potentiality in Gifted, Scholar/Athletes
Effectively nurturing multiple interests, multi-potentiality, and the dual-identity of the gifted, scholar/athlete means creating an environment that allows her to maximize her gifts and talents. In doing so parents, parents are encouraged to:
Resource Lauenstein, R., & Galehouse, D. (2017). The making of a student athlete (14th ed.). Sunnyvale, CA: Advisor Press
Author’s Note
Kristina Henry Collins, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of talent development at Texas State University. Dr. Collins has over 20 years of experience with STEM teaching and leading in Title I, rural, and community-based K-20 educational settings. Her research focuses on multicultural gifted education, STEM identity development, and culturally responsive STEM talent development. She was the 2011 recipient of the Mary Frasier Equity and Excellence Award presented by Georgia Association of Gifted Children for her work in advancing educational opportunities for under-represented students in gifted education. Dr. Collins currently serves on the board of directors for Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG) and holds both her Ph.D. and Ed.S. from the University of Georgia.
Endnotes 1 Hebert, T. P. (2012). Understanding their challenges and honoring their potential. In C. M. Callahan & H. L. Hertberg-Davis (Eds.), Fundamentals of gifted education: Considering multiple perspectives (pp. 331–342). New York, NY: Routledge. 2 Collins, K. H. (in press). Unpacking SENG’s mission, vision, & values: A framework and standard for comprehensive support of the gifted across the lifespan. SENGvine Newsletter: Supporting the Needs of the Gifted. 3 Colangelo, N. (2002, Fall). Counseling gifted and talented students. Storrs, CT: National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented. 4 Rysiew, K. J., Shore, B. M., & Carson, A. D. (1994). Multipotentiality and overchoice syndrome: Clarifying common usage. Gifted and Talented International, 9(2), 41–46. Rysiew, K. J., Shore, B. M., & Leeb, R. T. (1998). Multipotentiality, giftedness, and career choices: A review. Journal of Counseling & Development, 77, 423–430.
Permission Statement
Copyright 2017 NAGC. Reprinted with permission of the National Association for Gifted Children http://www.nagc.org. No further reprints are permitted without the consent of NAGC.
This article is provided as a service of the Davidson Institute for Talent Development, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to supporting profoundly gifted young people 18 and under. To learn more about the Davidson Institute’s programs, please visit www.DavidsonGifted.org.
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