Just how smart are the five students — all 17 years old — who graduated with 100% averages in their top six Grade 12 courses from various Toronto high schools this year?
Well, one of them – Kyle Sung of Richview Collegiate Institute – showed Education Minister Stephen Lecce how to complete a Rubik’s Cube in seconds.
Sung’s “competition” record is nine seconds.
“I’ve got homework to do,” joked Lecce, who was a surprise guest at the TDSB Top Scholars presentation on Thursday morning.
A TDSB spokesman said it’s the first time five students have made the Top Scholars list with 100% averages in the 14 years it’s been handed out.
“Getting 100% doesn’t come easy,” said Lecce of their achievements. “So I celebrate them.”
Lecce also admitted that he actually followed Sung, a singer and songwriter
who started releasing his own music as early as 12-years-old, on Spotify and played one of his songs off the digital streaming site during the presentation.
Sung, who also figure skates competitively nationally in ice dance, and was debate club president, will be attending McMaster University and plans to major in math and computer science.
“I think it’s kind of a passion to try new things,” said Sung of how he was able to juggle so many things with the support of teachers, school staff, friends and family.
“Throw yourself out there,” he advised future students. “Be excited and ready to step outside of your comfort zone.”
Sung was joined by Pasha Ho of Harbord Collegiate Institute, Avaneesh Kulkarni of Victoria Park Collegiate Institute and Sienna Muller of Etobicoke School of the Arts at the TDSB Top Scholars event while the fifth student Nina Do of Humberside Collegiate Institute was back in her native Vietnam.
Ho completed high school in just three years, plays piano, and will be studying Engineering Science at the University of Toronto next year.
“I was in Grade 9 when COVID hit in 2020 and so that just gave me the opportunity to hone in on my study habits,” said Ho, who added that extra curricular activities like music theory club at his former elementary school helped manage his stress.
Kulkarni, who was the leader of math, coding and Linux clubs during the pandemic, will be going to the University of Waterloo for the Computer Science program.
“I became leader of these clubs after the lockdown,” he said. “I wanted to recreate just like the casual banter that you can have in the hallways (when you’re physically at school).”
Muller, who studied both dance and science, is working as a research summer student at SickKids in a Genetics and Genome Biology lab and will be attending the University of British Columbia’s Science One program.
“I think the biggest thing for me was get extra help from your teachers,” said Muller. “Your teachers really want you to succeed.”
The absent Do, who plays violin to relieve her stress, will be attending the University of Waterloo next for system design engineering.
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