Indian schooler is ‘Child Genius’

BY A STAFF WRITER

WASHINGTON, DC — Indian American middle schooler Vanya Shivashankar has won the Lifetime channel’s competition series Child Genius.

The 13-year-old from Olathe, Kansas, claimed the $100,000 grand prize, which will go toward her college scholarship.

Yeji (11) of Rolling Hills Estates, California, came second and won a $10,000 scholarship. Ten-year-old Graham Curtsinger, of Verdigris, Oklahoma, finished third, winning a $5,000 scholarship.

Katherine He (11) of Rancho Palos Verdes, California, who had been steamrolling the competition in previous rounds, was the fourth finalist.

However, in the first round of the finale, in a surprising turn of events, she finished with a score of 7 out of a possible 25 points resulting in her elimination.

Curtsinger was also close to facing elimination, but narrowly beat out He with a score of 9. Yeji and Shivashankar scored 13 and 14, respectively, in the first round.

In the second and final round, each contestant had to answer a staggering 50 questions in only 10 minutes. Shivashankar scored an impressive 30 out of 50. Yeji, the second-place winner, scored 24 out of 50.

Curtsinger scored 18 in the final round. Shivashankar was the winner of the seventh episode as well, the first time she won first place since the show began.

Child Genius, which started eight weeks ago, pitted 20 of America’s most gifted boys and girls in an intelligence-based competition. The contestants, aged eight through 12, battled it out by challenging their knowledge in a multitude of subjects.

The show was hosted by Leland Melvin, a former NFL wide-receiver and astronaut.

Shivashankar, now in the final four of Lifetime show ‘Child Genius’, is the daughter of Indian American couple Sandy and Mirle Shivashankar, both IT professionals.

She is also a speller, having been to the finals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee three times. Her other Interests include acting, singing, piano, bike riding, swimming, brain games and playing with her dog.