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Student's Hard Work Pays Off With Trip

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By JOYCE McKENZIE

jmckenzie@tampatrib.com

Published: November 19, 2008

NEW TAMPA - How a package is wrapped can be misleading.

Such is the scenario with 11-year-old Sheela Ranganathan, a Liberty Middle School sixth-grader.

"She's so quiet and calm on the outside, but she has an amazing fire inside of her," said Shuko Saito, who is an instructor at the Kumon Math and Reading Center of Tampa in Wesley Chapel and mentored Sheela there from 2002 through August.

Sheela, the daughter of Nagarajan "Ranga" and Radhika Ranganathan of Tampa Palms, recently earned the distinction of being the first Kumon student in the nation to complete its after-school math and reading programs before entering middle school.

As a result, she has been selected to represent the 1,400 Kumon Centers across the United States at the company's 50th anniversary celebration and conference Dec. 6-7 in Tokyo. She will be among Kumon peers from nearly 45 countries and will take part in a student-focused panel discussion.

"I am really excited because I've always been interested in different cultures, and I've always wanted to go to Tokyo and to see the Tokyo Dome," said Sheela, who has visions of going to Harvard University Medical School and becoming a cardiovascular surgeon.

"I really appreciate the Kumon program, my instructor, Ms. Saito, and my parents, who gave me a little push when I needed it," she said.

In the Kumon learning system, students are tested to determine their placement levels. According to a student's ranking, instructors select assignments from a range of material that includes preschool to college curricula. The children are allowed to progress at their own pace.

"A lot of kids do not want to do a lot of homework, but Sheela, who visited the center twice a week, always wanted to do more and more and more," Saito said. "It's been such an honor to have her."

Kazu Shibata, the Kumon North America president, said Sheela is one of just a handful of students worldwide who has completed both programs at such an early age.

"It is quite rare for such a young student to have the skill, ability and commitment to achieve this goal and to do so takes great effort," he said.

Sheela's father is proud of his only daughter's achievement.

"Nobody lectures them, but Sheela got really sucked up in this. She went all the way through the last year of high school and the first year of college," said Ranga Ranganathan, a University of South Florida distinguished professor of computer science.

Her mother said Sheela made up her mind she wanted to complete the math program by January so she could surprise her father when he returned from a trip to India. Because she is an avid reader, she was able to go immediately from the math to the reading curriculum and complete it in August.

"She is really hardworking and determined," said Radhika Ranganathan, a Wesley Chapel pediatrician.

In addition to her academic studies, Sheela manages to make time for piano, tennis and Indian vocal and dance lessons.

Reporter Joyce McKenzie can be reached at (813) 865-4849.

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