Katie Lee, 2021 Gifted Education Fellowship winner

Katie Lee, a STEM educator of gifted math students in Washington, is a passionate advocate and community builder for gifted education who has taught and implemented a variety of integrated math curricula in four schools and three countries.

“Whether I am teaching at a small school like Meadow Green Academy with an intimate community or a prestigious school like Lakeside School with alumni including Bill Gates and Paul Allen, my constant joy has been discovering and fostering students with exceptional aptitude for learning,” Lee said. “This passion and interest in gifted education also became more personal recently as my daughter joined the Highly Capable Magnet Program in Washington public schools.”

Lee is currently pursuing a master’s in gifted education from Johns Hopkins University. She holds bachelor’s degrees in science (actuarial math) and education, and she is an active member of the National Association for Gifted Children, the Northwest Gifted Child Association, and the Washington Association of Educators of the Talented and Gifted.

“I hope to continuously grow in the gifted education field, and I believe the Mensa Foundation Fellowship will accelerate this journey,” Lee said. “I plan to learn from the most recent research and experts in gifted education through my graduate study and apply these learnings in my community.”

That plan includes collaborating with other educators on gifted programs in local education systems to implement national standards. Lee also wants to design an effective curriculum as a math teacher to support the development of gifted students. In addition, she would like to help increase the representation of historically underrepresented gifted student populations, including English language learner (ELL) students, students from lower-income families, students from a diverse cultural background, and twice-exceptional students.

“As a parent and teacher of gifted children,” Lee said, “I hope to expand my knowledge in gifted education and be a strong advocate in my community. I hope to spread joy and love of learning by being both an exemplary student and an effective educator. If given the opportunity, I wish to continue fostering gifted students with the support of the Mensa Foundation.”

The Foundation’s Gifted Education Fellowship was created to assist outstanding educators in acquiring a graduate degree in gifted education or a closely related field from an accredited institution of higher education.