Meet Savannah’s smartest 7-year-old, who wants to join NASA and travel to Saturn’s biggest moon

By Brooke Butler

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    SAVANNAH, Georgia (WJCL) — A 7-year-old first grader at Savannah Country Day School was recently accepted into Mensa, the prestigious high IQ society, for his intelligence and passion for learning.

“In 100 trillion years, the stars of the universe will die and no more will be born,” said Vandan Patel, demonstrating his knowledge of astronomy.

“I want to land on Titan,” Patel said. “It is one of Saturn’s moons.”

Patel has a passion for reading books, but oftentimes, he’ll gravitate toward nonfiction.

“He’s read my medical school texts and will quote facts back to me or quiz me,” said his father, Maulik Patel.

Patel got his Mensa acceptance letter this week. His parents say they couldn’t be prouder.

“I finally found something where he fit in and he’s around other kids who are like-minded,” said his mother, Rima Patel.

American Mensa is open to anyone who scores in the top two percent on a standardized intelligence test.

“I wasn’t surprised,” said Elizabeth Danosh, Patel’s teacher at Savannah Country Day School. “He is just a creative mind. He’s always eager to learn, and he brings so much creativity and curiosity into the classroom.”

Despite his quick understanding of complex topics, Danosh said Patel remains humble in the classroom.

“He is definitely a peer mentor and that’s really special to see with other students as well,” Danosh said.

Rima Patel said she knew from an early age that her son was a fast learner.

“For me, I think it was close to around two and a half. He had a really sharp memory,” she said.

Rima Patel said her son has been doing a math and reading program called Kumon since he was 3 years old. Patel’s parents said they plan to continue nurturing their son’s hunger for knowledge in any way they can.

“To have a child like Vandan, it’s a gift. To be able to nourish it is our responsibility,” Maulik Patel said.

However, brilliance alone is not the goal.

“I think helping him understand that there are a lot of other aspects to life and making sure that he’s humble as he develops into whatever that role will be … that’s important for us,” Maulik Patel said.

Patel said Savannah Country Day School has been playing a critical role in Patel’s development.

“I would say that at Savannah Country Day, with their unique curriculum, they’re able to find ways to challenge him. They’re able to find ways to nourish him in ways other than just academics as well,” Maulik Patel said.

Vandan said he dreams of one day working for NASA as an astronaut.

Rima Patel said on top of learning, her son enjoys dancing, drawing and spending time with his brothers.

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