MUNCIE, Ind. – Does the name Jon Hilsmier sound familiar? It should.
This bright and gifted young man was a member of the Destination ImagiNation Academic Team at Churubusco High School that advanced to the DI global competition and was named runner-up among 900 participating teams in Tennessee earlier this year.
Hilsmier,16, recently moved to Muncie, Ind., where he will spend the next two years living in a dorm and taking advanced college courses at the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities, located on the Ball State University campus.
GIFTED FROM THE START
Hilsmier discovered in fourth grade that he had a keen interest and an extraordinary aptitude for math and science.
Last year Hilsmier’s family physician, Dr. O’Brien, told the teen to apply at Ball State University’s Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities. O’Brein’s son had attended the academy and the doctor thought Hilsmier was an excellent candidate, as well.
Hilsmier, who said he needed more challenging classes, was accepted. Hilsmier would have been a junior at Churubusco High School this fall. After he completes two years at the academy, Hilsmier will graduate with his fellow classmates at Churubusco – with two years of college credits tucked under his belt.
Hilsmier is taking accelerated math and science classes, as well as foreign language.
“I’m really excited,” Hilsmier said. “I get to live away from home on my own and take all these great college courses.”
Hilsmier is the son of Judi Burgess of Churubusco and Michael Hilsmier of Columbia City. He has a younger brother, Stuart, 15, and a younger half-sister, Katie Burgess, 6. Both attend Smith-Green Schools in Churubusco.
NOT YOUR AVERAGE SAT
Hilsmier, as part of the academy’s rigorous application process, took the SAT. His test results astonished Jo Tuite, head of admissions at the academy.
“Students must receive a minimum score of 1500,” Tuite said. “Jon’s score was 1960 out of 2400.
To give that some perspective,” Tuite explained, “in 2008 (no 2009 data available yet) the average for Indiana was 1485, and the national average was 1511. At the Academy, this year’s incoming average is 1746.”
THE ACADEMY
Founded in 1988 by the Indiana General Assembly, the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities serves as a residential high school for approximately 300 gifted and talented juniors and seniors from across the state of Indiana.
Through various outreach programs, the Indiana Academy strives to stimulate and enable vitality in educational programs for academically gifted students and teachers. The Indiana Academy has been nationally recognized as a premier educational institution for gifted and talented students.
Hilsmier’s grueling schedule includes college level classes on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, including AP chemistry, AP physics, AP calculus, American literature, Spanish III, Civitas (a combination of U.S. history, economics, and government) and lab classes for physics and chemistry.
His roommate is Blake Mellencamp from Berne, Ind. Hilsmier was thrilled to discover the teens have similar interests and was looking forward to rooming with him.
MOM’S OKAY WITH IT
Burgess is excited about the opportunities the academy will provide for her son. As for her teenage son living away from home, she has thoroughly researched the school’s security and regulations and feels confident that he will be in a protected environment.
“Students at the academy are required to sign in and out of their dorm for security,” Burgess said. “They cannot keep a car or have access to a car while on the campus. They have some structured study times, which are enforced for incoming juniors, but once you hold your grades and stay out of trouble, you can study on your own schedule.”
NOT ALL WILL MAKE IT
Burgess said about 20 percent of the 150 juniors who start at the academy will not make it to graduation.
“(School officials) told us that they lose 1-3 students to video games (not studying) and the rest of them leave because they miss their rooms, their cars, their girlfriends/boyfriends, mom’s cooking, their dogs, their X-boxes or due to just general homesickness.”
Burgess doesn’t think that will be the case for her son. Neither does he.
Hilsmier can barely contain his glee at the prospect of tackling the challenges he will face in the next two years. He summed it up in three words.
“I can’t wait.”
