A four-year-old boy from Vernon Hills has become one of the youngest members to be accepted into two prestigious high-IQ societies, with his parents saying he demonstrates remarkable abilities.
Zorien Royce, of Vernon Hills, was accepted this year at the age of 3 into Mensa and Intertel, two of the world’s most prestigious high-IQ societies.
Zorien, who just turned 4 years old, scored 156 out of 160 on the Wechsler Intelligence Test for children, placing him in the “Profoundly Gifted” category.
His parents said the boy was spelling words like hippopotamus and alligator and could count forward and backward to 100 by the age of 2.
His parents said they noticed their son’s unusual abilities very early with a “remarkable” memory and the way he was able to learn new concepts with ease. “These early signs made it clear to us that he was a gifted child.”
He currently reads independently at a second to third-grade level and is tackling three-digit multiplication and fractions.
Zorien is also excelling in Kumon, an international after-school program with local learning centers that focus on math and reading mastery.
He has reached Platinum level in both subjects — working more than three years above grade level — and was one of only two students from his center selected for the 2025 Kumon Global Virtual Student Conference, his parents said.
The family said the boy’s psychologist described the achievement of a 156 IQ score as “awestruck.”
Zorien’s parents say that while he demonstrates accelerated abilities, they also emphasize balance.
“We want to make sure Zorien enjoys being a child, plays, laughs, and grows emotionally alongside his intellectual journey,” said his father, Md Naqib Alam Ansari.
The boy is an energetic soccer player, swimmer and Lego builder who calls the library his “favorite place in the world.”
He is fluent in English and Bengali, with early exposure to Spanish, Hindi and French. He says he wants to be a NASA scientist when he grows up.
Zorien is the son of two professionals who immigrated from Kolkata, India, and is being raised in Vernon Hills with support from his family, educators and mentors.
“Our goal isn’t to push him but to give him the right environment,” said his mother, Monirupa Ananya.
“His journey, we hope, inspires other children and families to embrace curiosity and learning with joy,” she said.
Ananya is a civil engineer at a global firm and Ansari is an associate director working at a global biopharmaceutical company.
“For us, being gifted isn’t just about numbers or scores – it’s about balance. We want to make sure Zorien enjoys being a child, plays, laughs, and grows emotionally alongside his intellectual journey. Our biggest goal is to keep him curious, joyful, and empathetic while supporting his immense potential,” the parents said.