Exclusive Interview Of The Young Spelling Bee Champion | Rodrigo Medinilla

The young Spelling Bee Champion, Rodrigo Medinilla, recently had an exclusive interview with Global Child Prodigy under Prodigy Talks. The renowned Entrepreneur, Educationalist, and Humanitarian, Mr. Kavin Kumar Kandasamy, hosted the talk. He is also the Managing Director of Mangalam Educational Institutions. Mr. Kavin’s institutions serve more than 7000 students every year.

Rodrigo Medinilla shares his success story in this candid chat with us. Tag along as he reveals his secrets to success.

Tell Us A Little About Yourself

My name is Rodrigo Medinilla, and I am 13-years-old. I am from Miami, Florida, and people know me as ‘Mathematics and Spelling Prodigy.’ I have been taking part in various competitions over the past few years. It feels so good to be a Prodigy.

I study in one of the best schools in Miami, Terra Environmental Research Institute. Right now, I am in the Biomedical program because I want to become a Surgeon. It is a fantastic program, and I have been enjoying it a lot. 

How Did This Whole Thing Happen To You?

It all started when I was around 3-years-old. I don’t remember, but my mom says that I could read and write in Spanish and English. Then she realized that her son might be smarter than the other kids. At the age of 2.5, I was able to count to 150 and solve simple addition and subtraction. I don’t know how I did it; I just got it from my brain and my mom. My school wanted me to be in the gifted program because I was promising. I gave a test when I was 6-years-old, and I got a high enough IQ to enter into Mensa, an organization for smart people.

How Was Your Experience With ‘Genius Junior’?

It was a super fun experience as we studied a lot. Out of 8,00,000 kids, I was one of the 36 kids selected. I interacted with the other children in my team, and we made like the Dream Team. We are still friends, we talk all the time, and we get together a lot. Our team was among the finalists. ‘Genius Junior’ was a fantastic show. 

Tell Us Something About The London Metro Which We Don’t Know.

There are eight lines in London Metro. There is a place called ‘Piccadilly Circus,’ which is a big area, but some think it is a circus. In January 2019, we went to London, and we went through the Piccadilly Circus, and it was such a beautiful place. It is not an actual circus.

From Where Did The Whole Spelling Thing Come?

When I was in first grade, I remember that I was a young spelling bee, increasing my interest in Linguistics. When I was in 6th grade, I was interested in creating a language and my script. I love learning languages, and I have around 11 languages skewed up in a language learning app. Those languages are Arabic, French, Italian, German, Hindi, Navaho, Catalan, Dothraki (the language of Game of Thrones), etc. 

Do You Have To Need Any Test To Retain Yourself in Mensa?

No, One you are in, you don’t have to participate in any activities. I participated in an interview with Mensa Magazine, but that was my choice. You need to pay membership fees, and you are set for life.

How Does It Feel To Be A Global Child prodigy Awardee?

I think around 4,000 people nominated me for the Global Child Prodigy Award. I came to Delhi in January 2020, and it was a beautiful city. We visited some main sites in Delhi, like Humayun’s Tomb, which was very beautiful. It felt so honored to be in the Award Ceremony. It was a great honor to receive the award from Mr. Kailash Satyarthi. Overall, it was a fantastic experience.

Is There Any Country You Are Planning To Visit After The Covid Pandemic?

I love traveling a lot, and we have been all over Europe, which is beautiful. I want to travel to Asia and Africa. It would be great to get to know more about Asia and Africa. 

What Are Your Views On Being Recognized?

Recognition is a wonderful thing, in my opinion. But, we have so many people who are talented but don’t get recognized. They don’t get the recognition they deserve.

“I believe that you don’t need recognition to be a hero and to be a good person. Some people don’t like the spark light shining on them but there are so many who should get it.”

Thank You for your time, Rodrigo! It was fantastic catching up with you. We hope you achieve all you deserve. The GCP team wishes you All The Very Best. 

If you know someone close to you who deserves to be in the TOP 100 child prodigies list, make sure to click here.