Teen puts challenges with Tourette’s behind to nail high score in global testing
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Mason Fetum, 15, scored in the 97th percentile, receiving High Honours after writing the School and College Ability Test as part of Johns Hopkins University’s annual Gifted Talent Search. Mason is a Western Technical Commercial School student heading into Grade 10 in the fall.
Lately, Mason Fentum’s calf muscle tenses, contracts and bends; the involuntary movements cause his foot to twist.
“It hurts me when I walk,” confessed Mason, a 15-year old Western Technical Commercial School student. “The key is to not think about it, to distract myself.”
Easier said than done. For most of his life, the teenager has had to deal with these kinds of ticks, which are painful and disconcerting. When he was eight, Mason was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome. Looking back, his mother Anita Nielson, said he developed ticks starting at age four. “When he was little though, they could be explained away,” Nielson told The Villager.
For example, Mason had a cough and
sniffle that never seemed to go away, however, his mother simply thought he had a cold. When her son was diagnosed, Nielson recalled feeling a sense of relief – that finally, everything made sense. At the same time, the diagnosis was “devastating” for Nielson, who experienced several stages of the grief process, including denial.
In spite of the challenges Mason has experienced in part because of the difficulties concentrating and organizing due to his condition, the teen has thrived. Both Nielson and her son credit the “tremendous” support of his teachers and school administrators. Last year, it was determined that Mason should skip Grade 8 and go directly into Grade 9. The Jane and Annette streets-area resident chose to attend Western Tech after attending a private school called The Study.
“I think when he got to Grade 9, he felt he needed that bigger high school experience,” Nielsen said. “He just liked the vibe at Western Tech.”
Although it’s been a bit tough adjusting to the high school, whose population is about 1,000, Mason is enjoying being a part of its Gifted/Robotics program. The teen, who is currently working towards the silver level in the Duke of Edinburgh program, scored in the 97th percentile, receiving High Honours after writing the School and College Ability Test as part of Johns Hopkins University’s annual Gifted Talent Search last year.
Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth identifies and develops the talents of kindergarten to Grade 12 learners worldwide. The ability test is an above level standardized test in which students are compared against others their own age and against older students for whom the test was designed – “in Mason’s case, a nationwide sample of Grade 12 students,” Nielsen said.
More than 40,000 gifted children from 120 countries take part in the Gifted Talent Search each year and only 25 to 30 per cent of those receive the designation. Mason was recognized during an awards ceremony in June at the University of Rochester. The test, said Mason, was comprised primarily of multiple choice questions on the subjects of math, English and logic.
“Today we face critical global problems that require the best minds of the future to solve using discipline, creativity, and innovation,” said Elaine Tuttle Hansen, executive director of the Center for Talented Youth in a statement. “It’s inspiring and reassuring to see this group of some of the best and brightest students emerging and to know that they will become tomorrow’s thought leaders and innovators.”
Mason is passionate about music. Last fall, he participated in MIT’s SPLASH program that allowed gifted high school students to spend a weekend taking courses at the renowned university. In July, he’ll be completing a volunteer work placement at the Royal Ontario Museum’s Summer Club.
“Every day is a bit of a struggle. There’s always some sort of tick. It’s very tiring, but you’ve got to deal with it. I’m taking a medication that helps a little bit,” he said.
Fortunately, Mason says he has never been bullied, although he admits he does know some people with Tourette’s who have.
“There’s a misconception with Tourette’s. The movements don’t just happen. You have to exert effort, but (the movements) are involuntary,” he said.
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