Mayan Levin — Mathematician, Artist, and Kung Fu Kid

Whiz Kid: Mayan (my-ahn) Levin

Age: 9

Grade: Fourth grade at the

Mayan Levin loves her days at the Phoenix School. She has been at Phoenix since kindergarten and hopes to be there through eighth grade.

Her parents are Karen Kurlander and Lee Levin. Her older brother, Jonah, is in the 7th grade at Phoenix and motivates her every day.

Mayan sees math as her favorite subject because "it teaches you how to figure out problems."

When asked who her favorite teacher was Mayan responded: "The teachers here are very good at customizing for every student. I like them all in different ways." After further thought she did add that "Betsy (Sargent) pushes us so that we can move on the next level".

As a member of the Early Act Club, Mayan helps with the "Pennies For Peace" program where students bring in small change for building schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan.  They are currently  researching whether or not to continue their support of "Pennies For Peace" or to  select another charitable endeavor.

She has been studying Kung Fu for two years and especially enjoys the fact the "it teaches us to compete with ourselves."

Mayan has aspirations to either be an artist, she especially enjoys sculpture, or to become a journalist. Like many a good artist/writer, she is a poet at heart. Here is an example of  her work that she wrote after waking up in the middle of one weekend night.

Quiet, lonely, intimidating

 Damp and cold wanting to shine

Creeping in silence, leaves with pride

Mocking shadows with horrible light

 Uncertain, worrying, darkness

 Disappearing in thin air

 Revealing a shine of light