The subtitle for this year鈥檚 seminar theme easily could have been something akin to: 鈥淗ow to Talk About Rejection and Failure in a Room Full of People.鈥� Talk about vulnerability鈥� Rejection can be hard enough to acknowledge on our own, let alone in a social context where comparisons and self-appraisals inevitably creep in, despite our best efforts. It鈥檚 a loaded topic by virtue of its innate capacity to conjure some of our deepest feelings of self-doubt, confusion, shame and disappointment. But it鈥檚 also that power that makes it a word worth talking about, especially in communities where the myths of perfection often linger amidst high personal, academic and social expectations, both real and perceived.

From March 15 鈥� 17, the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship community gathered at the DoubleTree in Downtown Los Angeles for the 16^th Annual Bradley Seminar. With over 270 guests, this was our largest event to date, representing over 30 states spanning from Maine to Colorado to Hawaii. Scholars, alumni, parents, staff and educators explored this year鈥檚 theme, Perspective 鈥� how it shapes our perception of ourselves and the world around us; how experiences of disappointment and rejection make it difficult to reframe our failures; and how resilience and mindfulness can offer strategies for navigating life with clearer perspective.

Our keynote speaker, Dr. Lauren Marlotte, Assistant Director of Training for the Division of Population Behavioral Health and Nathan Family Resilience Center at UCLA, shared her own perspective and research for developing healthy resilience, using tools like social connection, physical activity, and emotional regulation in times of toxic stress. Through cross-generational conversation, small group workshops and community activities, seminar guests continued to explore these questions throughout the weekend. CDB seniors initiated a project called the 鈥淩ejection Wall,鈥� an activity aimed at providing visibility on the topic of rejection, both academic and interpersonal, by inviting the community to share their own experiences and advice in writing. Scholars and parents alike were able to waive reservations and mutually contribute to these conversations, creating a spirit of solidarity and connection.

On Saturday afternoon, guests scattered around the local area for field trips and activities. CDB freshmen and parents ventured out from Little Tokyo to Pasadena via the Gold Line Metro (a personal favorite!) for an inaugural visit to the 优蜜视频 headquarters, The Barder House. Older scholars participated in various live-action puzzles at Escape Room LA. If you鈥檝e never done an escape room, I highly recommend this location 鈥� their themes and production value make the thrill of the countdown that much better. Parents, guests, and alumni visited nearby museums (Japanese American National Museum and Geffen Contemporary at MOCA) and explored the local charms of Little Tokyo, the Arts District and Downtown LA.

No CDB seminar would be complete without senior speeches. Always a highlight of the weekend, this year was particularly memorable as it marked the first graduating class since the program鈥檚 expansion in 2014. With 27 scholars, this is the largest senior class to date in CDB Scholarship program history. Coincidentally, 2014 was also my first year with the selection process 鈥� I still remember vivid details from various interviews that summer, my own nerves at times in competition with those of the interviewee. As this year also designated my last year with the CDB program, it was a fitting denouement to close out this final seminar weekend in tandem with the senior class of 2014. Their speeches spoke wisdom and humor in equal measure to their intelligence, passion, and ambition. Most, if not all, thanked Bonnie for her years of guidance and emails, trademarked by bold typeface and exclamation points en masse 鈥� a CDB tradition. The spirit of gratitude and authenticity was overwhelming. Not only from the graduating class, but the entire Caroline D. Bradley community. Reflecting on this year鈥檚 event, one scholar wrote: 鈥淚 feel like CDB has been a part of my life for much longer because of the deep friendships I’ve forged within the organization and the way I’ve been able to grow as a person due to this broader supportive community.鈥�

My hope is that, like this Scholar, every individual who participated in this year鈥檚 event feels that sense of community and connection. I know it is a feeling that will stick with me in continuity.

_ _ _ _

If you aren鈥檛 familiar with the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship, you can read more about this life-changing opportunity on our . 聽Since 2002, the program has identified over 250 highly motivated, gifted students across the country, providing merit-based tuition to the high school program that best meets each student鈥檚 personal and academic needs 鈥� private, public, charter, boarding, early college, online and homeschool hybrid. The seminar provides a meeting place annually for these students and focuses on personal growth through themes and topics which encourage conversation, connection, and authenticity.

Since 2014, the Caroline D. Bradley Seminar has been the event I most anticipate each year. Months and months of planning precede this exciting community gathering of students, alumni, parents, educators and supporters from across the U.S. For most of the year, CDB Scholars are separated by geography, schools, and busy schedules. But once a year, every spring, we welcome our entire community to convene in southern California for a three-day seminar where they can discuss and share ideas with like-minded peers in an inclusive and energetic environment. (If you aren鈥檛 familiar with the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship, you can read more about this unique and life-changing opportunity on our .)

Since 2002, the program has identified over 230 highly motivated, gifted students across the country, providing merit-based four-year tuition to the high school program that best meets their personal and academic needs 鈥� private, public, charter, boarding, early college, online and homeschool hybrid. The seminar provides a meeting place annually for these students and focuses on personal growth through themes and topics which encourage conversation, connection and authenticity. It鈥檚 an important time because it allows each class of CDB Scholars to get to know other students within their cohort as well as the entire network of scholars from years past and present. The Bradley Seminar is generously funded by The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation.

The 15^th annual Bradley Seminar took place March 9 鈥� 11 at The Westin near LAX and was our largest event to date with over 240 attendees representing 30 states spanning from Hawaii to Nebraska to Florida. Through cross-generational formats, small group workshops and conversation, we delved into this year鈥檚 theme, Intersections. Our keynote speaker, Jim Davis, Co-Founder of 优蜜视频, kicked off the weekend with an interactive exploration using personality theory as a framework for better understanding ourselves and others. Using for inspiration, we discussed life at the intersection of giftedness and multipotentiality, and what it looks like to pursue life with many passions and interests. Always a highlight of the weekend, our CDB senior class shared parting words of personal experience, advice and insight to their fellow CDB community, rife with photos, tears and hugs.

On Saturday afternoon, CDB scholars and alumni visited the 优蜜视频 headquarters in Pasadena to participate in a legacy project celebrating 优蜜视频鈥檚 20^th anniversary. Students collaborated with their CDB classes to design and create a flag using meaningful symbolism to represent their CDB class, as well as commemorate 优蜜视频鈥檚 milestone year. What resulted from their collective creative vision and work was inspirational. One even made me cry (admittedly not that difficult to achieve) with its underlying story and layers of symbolism. Their designs can be viewed below and will be displayed at 优蜜视频 offices at The Barder House in perpetuity.

(A note: Aside from that one summer back in 2008 when I became mildly obsessed with learning all the flags of the world thanks to Sporcle.com, I didn鈥檛 know much about the specifics of flag design or vexillology. After putting in a few hours of basic research on the subject in preparation for this project, I was hooked. Two resources in particular made a fascinating case for why good design matters. First, the definitive guide 鈥溾�� compiled by Ted Kaye of the North American Vexillological Association.聽 Second, the delightfully amusing and thought-provoking Ted Talk by podcast host, Roman Mars, 鈥溾��. I recommend both to anyone interested in learning more on the topic. I also strongly recommend checking out the proposal by Calder Hansen, 2014 CDB Scholar.)

It鈥檚 hard to believe this year鈥檚 event has already come and gone. Months of pouring over spreadsheets, emails, flight details, schedules, etc. lead you to that sudden moment when everyone is saying goodbye again until next year. There鈥檚 nothing quite like the energy that fills the room that first Friday night at the seminar. It鈥檚 a feeling that follows you home and sticks with you for weeks after.

One CDB scholar said it best: 鈥淚 am sure I speak for all of the scholars when I say that the opportunity to meet friends, engage in intellectual conversations, and just spend time in a like-minded community was one of the highlights of my school year so far. I personally enjoyed getting to meet the freshman class, and was so inspired by their generous spirits, open-mindedness, and excitement about what the future holds. I spent time with different parents this year as well and had many discussions about topics ranging from accents to culture to the intersection of spirituality and science. I was so sad to leave – I felt like Sunday came even more quickly than it did last year! But even a short weekend was enough to make me feel so lucky and grateful to be a CDB scholar.鈥�

I speak for myself and the rest of the 优蜜视频 staff when I say how humbled and grateful we all are to work with such a lovely community of scholars, alumni, parents and educators. We can鈥檛 wait to see you again next year!

For more photos of the event, check out 优蜜视频鈥檚 !

I take it as true that a high percentage of American optimists out there still believe social and economic upward mobility is possible. The American Dream. The belief that if you start at the bottom, you can 鈥� through hard work and a can-do attitude 鈥� make a vertical leap and change your life significantly.

But is this true of the country we live in today? Over the past century, researchers and academics have attempted to understand upward mobility in America, to make sense of what seems like a stasis of migration between classes and a real lack of resources for those who might need them most. In a 2014 article, James Surowiecki, staff writer at The New Yorker, wrote about . Surowiecki references a study co-conducted by researchers at Berkeley and Harvard that revealed: 鈥淪ocial mobility is low and has been for at least thirty or forty years鈥� Seventy percent of people born into the bottom quintile of income distribution never make it into the middle class鈥�.

This question of mobility becomes more complex when you consider the gifted kids at the bottom of the ladder. There is a myth alive and well in American culture that individuals with a natural intellectual ability and prowess somehow have a 鈥渓eg up鈥� in life. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e smart; they鈥檒l be fine.鈥� As though gifted kids are somehow invulnerable to the ordinary woes of childhood and adolescence, not to mention the difficulties most gifted children experience with regards to social and emotional development, anxiety, fear of failure, perfectionism, and depression 鈥� to name a few.

Another point worth considering is the fundamental relationship between learning and challenge. All children deserve to be challenged 鈥� even gifted kids. The foundation of learning is growth, a measurable change in behavior and comprehension through challenge and experience. For gifted kids, the process of learning is often an atypical feature of their everyday classroom experience. And for these kids, learning is crucial to their sense of well-being and place in the world.

Maybe this is why the dropout rate among gifted students is estimated at almost 25 percent. Because the myth that says, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e smart; you鈥檒l make it鈥� fails to take these facts into consideration. Add to this the disappointing truth that , and we鈥檝e got a problem worth talking about.

This is what Malcolm Gladwell, best-selling author of books like Blink and The Tipping Point, discusses in his new podcast, , a podcast dedicated to going back and reinterpreting something from the past which was overlooked or misunderstood. In a recent three-part installment on the American education system, Gladwell asks important questions about the system as it stands and how, if at all, it supports this idea of upward mobility. Can those at the bottom really rise to the top? Is the system set up to help students succeed – even the 鈥渟mart鈥� kids?

The first episode of the series tells the story of a kid named Carlos. A math-loving kid from a small, disadvantaged enclave of West Los Angeles, Carlos was identified for his exceptional ability by a local nonprofit organization, the ,聽a group dedicated to maintaining America鈥檚 promise of equal opportunity for equal talent. Supported by YES, Carlos is able to attend an elite private school with challenging curriculum and advanced learning opportunities. But even with the support and advocacy of YES, life isn鈥檛 easy. As Gladwell probes beneath the surface, the listener is confronted with hard truths about the experience of kids like Carlos in America.

I should qualify: I am definitely not saying that gifted聽kids born into money don鈥檛 also deserve to be challenged, receive a transformative聽education, or be encouraged to reach their fullest potential. Every child deserves to be challenged. Every gifted child deserves (and needs) to be challenged.聽 The point of Gladwell鈥檚 podcast and this blog is not to shame those with more resources 鈥� like time or money 鈥撀� or imply that gifted kids from wealthy backgrounds have things easier. The focus of this conversation is whether upward mobility is as common as we would like to believe. Being smart doesn鈥檛 guarantee success, especially if you are a kid like Carlos. The greater the gap, the greater the need for resources to leverage the playing field and help these brilliant students tap into their academic and personal potential.

To hear this episode of Malcolm Gladwell鈥檚 podcast,聽Revisionist History,聽visit their website at: . You can also access all three episodes of Gladwell鈥檚 inquiry into the American education system (which I highly recommend) directly on their site.聽

Like the Institute for Educational Advancement (优蜜视频), YES is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing advocacy, support, and resources for our nation鈥檚 most promising students. For more information about Young Eisner Scholars and the incredible work they are doing in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Appalachia, visit them online at: .

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鈥淎ttention is the doorway to gratitude, to wonder, to reciprocity.鈥� 鈥� Robin Wall Kimmerer

The annual Bradley Seminar is a place where you can鈥檛 help but pay attention. In the blink of an eye, it has come and gone. The Seminar is significant because it brings together some of the most interested and accomplished national merit-based high school scholars; it provides a venue for Caroline D. Bradley Scholars, parents, educators and professionals to connect, discuss issues of intellectual, personal, and global interest; and it strengthens a community that they will continue to influence and rely upon in perpetuity. I love it precisely for its strength of attentiveness 鈥� a weekend filled to capacity with such extraordinary individuals, challenging conversations, and genuine connectedness demands we lay distractions aside and keep our eyes open. Wide open.

The 2016 Bradley Seminar commenced in Pasadena, California from March 18 鈥� 20, hosting over 180 participants from across the country. The weekend events kicked off on Friday afternoon, welcoming the Class of 2014 Scholars to The Barder House, a space rife with symbolism for the CDB community. Dedicated and named after the Scholarship鈥檚 generous benefactor, Sarah D. Barder, it was donated to the Institute for Educational Advancement in 2011 by Ms. Barder to serve as the home base for 优蜜视频, as well as a meeting place and touchstone for the 优蜜视频 and the CDB community.

Following a welcome dinner and introductions, parents attended a session led by Dr. Jim Delisle, while Scholars and Alumni participated in ice-breakers and a hotel-wide scavenger hunt. Among the various tasks that teams were instructed to complete were items like, 鈥渇ind something at least 100 years older than anyone on your team鈥� and 鈥渞ecord a video of everyone on your team doing 20 jumping jacks in unison鈥�.

Each year, the Seminar is guided by a different overarching theme intended to serve as the focal point for thought and conversation throughout the weekend. The 2016 theme was Finding & Cultivating Your Voice, which pursued questions like: What am I passionate about and what matters? What does it mean to have a voice and how do I share these passions with a community, local or global, in meaningful ways?

KR Sridhar, Founder, President, and CEO of , explored this theme on Saturday morning through a keynote presentation on the relationship between voice, passion, and resilience. 聽Betsy Jones, 优蜜视频 President, guided intergenerational conversations between students, parents, visiting educators, and guests to examine the Seminar theme in smaller intentional groups. 聽These discussions channel incredible value for their ability to bring a diverse group of individuals together as equals to discuss issues of common interest. One Scholar noted, 鈥淭he table talks helped facilitate open and serious conversations鈥� The topics addressed were relevant to my life, especially the topics in the intentional conversations.鈥�

Saturday night featured workshops and panels led by CDB Alumni and parents, educators, clinical psychologists, and consultants covering a range of topics: American Misconceptions of Giftedness, Career Paths, College Counseling, Finding Your Voice Through Depression, Intensities and Sensitivities, and Mindfulness.

While the day was bookended with content-heavy sessions, Scholars and parents were able to relax through various outings on Saturday afternoon to the Griffith Observatory, Huntington Library & Gardens, and EscapeRoom LA.

As the Seminar concluded on Sunday morning and good-byes became imminent, I reflected on the wonder of the weekend. I recalled Kimmerer鈥檚 words on attention, gratitude, and reciprocity as I watched the generosity of the CDB community extend outward in the form of financial support and volunteerism to the 优蜜视频 community. 聽This only confirmed my feeling that when we come together and pay attention 鈥� when we put down our phone, participate in our environment, engage in what it means to be present 鈥� something happens. As Thich Nhat Hanh writes, 鈥淭he most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention.鈥� I can鈥檛 help but agree.

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Brianna has worked at 优蜜视频 since 2011 and with gifted students since 2009. She graduated from Biola University with her BA in Humanities and English and is particularly interested in how literary art can inform issues in human psychology about how individuals conceive of themselves and make decisions.聽

The word 鈥渘ormal鈥� is often casually batted across the field of developmental psychology, and I shudder at the implicit limitations of such a word. Sure, 鈥渘ormal鈥� is a practical point of reference for understanding how children grow, in what ways and at what ages. When used descriptively, it can be a useful tool for seeing general patterns of physical, cognitive, and emotional development. The harm seems to come when we choose, often without realizing, to see normative development through a prescriptive lens. To prescribe 鈥渘ormal鈥� as the measure of a healthy, happy child may confine us to a definition too narrow to allow the perspective that each child is a unique instantiation of life, and therefore will develop in his or her own unique way.

For those parenting a child at either end of the bell curve, the normalcy lens can cause more trouble than not. Any parent of a gifted or special needs child (or in some cases, the twice-exceptional child) can attest to the fact that, if normal is the rule, their child is indeed the exception. For these parents, it can be a challenge to let go of normative expectations and accept their child鈥檚 distinctive development.

These variations from the norm can be hard to define. Gifted has often been conflated with achievement and accolade, with success being the primary identifier of a truly gifted child. This seems a narrow perspective, considering the thousands of across America, to give one example. It also fails to account for the notion that gifted children don鈥檛 develop in a linear, synchronous way. Parents often speak of their gifted child embodying many ages at once, oscillating from an 鈥渙ld soul鈥� to an emotional 3-year-old from one minute to the next. Imagine, for instance, the gifted child who spends her weekends learning computer languages like Java and C++ but who falls to pieces if asked to perform a repetitive task like copying vocabulary words ten times. How can we best define this simultaneous abundance and lack, which to us can appear so out of the norm?

In 1991, a group of gifted education specialists (both parents and professionals) came together to ask the聽question 鈥� 鈥淲hat is gifted?鈥� They gathered in Columbus, Ohio, (giving them the name 鈥淐olumbus Group鈥�) to search for聽an answer to this deceptively simple聽question. One member, Stephanie Tolan, recalls: 鈥溾�e agreed that in almost every way these children were out of sync with expectations, norms, and averages鈥� (Off the Charts, 14). Indeed, the gifted child will no doubt disappoint or confuse the parent who prescribes to normative expectations.

From their discussion, the Columbus Group conceived of the concept 鈥渁synchrony鈥� to describe the basic features of the gifted child. Their child-centered 鈥� not product or achievement centered 鈥� definition has been adopted by many gifted organizations (优蜜视频 included), schools, and educators as the most inclusive explanation of the gifted individual.

鈥淕iftedness is asynchronous development in which advanced cognitive abilities and heightened intensity combine to create inner experiences and awareness that are qualitatively different from the norm. This asynchrony increases with higher intellectual capacity. The uniqueness of the gifted renders them particularly vulnerable and requires modifications in parenting, teaching and counseling in order for them to develop optimally鈥� (Columbus Group, 1991).

For young gifted people, the pressure for normalcy can easily sneak its way into their self-perception, either through internal or external influences, or both. Acceptance of their giftedness as an integral part of self is crucial during childhood and adolescence, as they are in the most critical stages of development. Asynchrony, not normalcy, should be the lens through which we understand the growing gifted individual, and should provide educators and parents alike a better framework for helping them to learn and grow into their best possible self.

If you are interested in learning more about asynchrony, I strongly recommend . Among the contributors are 优蜜视频 Senior Fellows, Dr. Michael Piechowski, Stephanie Tolan, and Dr. Patricia Gatto-Walden, as well as Yunasa Fellow, Dr. Shelagh Gallagher. We are honored to have an ongoing relationship with some of the most renowned experts in the field today. To learn more about it or order it online, please visit .

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