Kashe Quest, a 2-year-old from Los Angeles, California, is the newest and youngest member of Mensa International, an exclusive club of the most intelligent people in the world. To join Mensa, one must take a Mensa test and score at least 132. According to her parents, Kashe scored 146.
Quest can speak Spanish, identify elements on the periodic table, and identify States by their shape. In an appearance on Good Day LA, Kashe correctly identified Phosphorus and the state Mississippi on flashcards. “We are proud to have her and to be able to help her and her parents with the unique challenges that gifted youth encounter,” Trevor Mitchell, executive director of American Mensa told People.
Kashe’s parents confirmed that Kashe had high intelligence after consulting a psychologist about the matter
Kashe Quest was born in 2019 to Sukhjit Athwal and Devon Quest. Athwal is of Indian heritage and Devon is African American. Devon is a UCLA School of Law magna cum laude graduate. Quest’s parents told CNN that Quest’s skills developed rapidly after she uttered her first words. They observed that she might be advanced for her age and approached Kashe’s pediatrician for advice.
“Once her pediatrician also acknowledged it, at her 18-month check-up I had let her know where (Kashe) was on her numbers, shapes, and colors, and wanted her perspective on all of it, and she said it was amazing… it was something worth looking into,” Sukhjit told CNN. The pediatrician suggested that they consult a psychologist, who confirmed Kashe’s sky-high intelligence by administering a Mensa test.
Devon and Athwal admit that they have a huge responsibility on their hands raising Kashe. “She will wake up on a Saturday and say, ‘I want to do elements,’ or ‘I want to do states.’ Whenever she’s leaning into it, we’re just there to support her,” Devon told REVOLT. “We wanted to make sure we did out part in making it happen for her,” Sukhjit told CNN.
Kashe isn’t your ordinary nearly three-year-old, but her parents want her to experience an ordinary childhood. She might have an above-genius IQ, but she remains a child at heart. To ensure that she gets to enjoy childhood alongside other kids, Sukhjit, a trained educator, created a pre-school dubbed Modern Schoolhouse.
“She’s still two at heart, and she needs to be with children her age, and not have that pressure put on her to be older than she needs to be or act older than she needs to be,” Athwal told CNN.
Quest has helped improve communication in the family’s household
Kashe’s parents shower her with words of reassurance whenever she gets frustrated doing a task. Quest reciprocates by offering words of encouragement. “If she sees me trying to open a jar of pickles, she’ll come over and say, Dad I’m so proud of you!” Devon talked to CNN about Kashe’s emotional intelligence.
Quest’s parents don’t communicate with her any differently than they would a child of average intelligence. However, they have learned to be honest with what they tell her as she will hold them accountable for what they say. In doing so, Quest’s parents have learned to be better communicators with each other and with Quest. Sukhjit explained:
“It has taught us patience in how to communicate with her and we are very conscious of the words we use with her and how we explain things. It has definitely taught us how to be better communicators with each other and collectively as a family because we all have to be on the same page.”