OTTAWA HILLS, OH (Toledo News Now) - Classes resume at Ottawa Hills High School on August 25, and among the students will be 10-year-old Daniel Liu.
Daniel just won the Chemical Education Foundation's “You Be the Chemist” competition. He walked away with a $10,000 check and a gold cup from the contest that attracts 39,000 students.
Daniel says he loves chemistry.
“There's almost a challenge because you don't know what's coming next. It's so broad of a topic. You can always have a different question each time,” he said.
Daniel's parents say they knew their son was special at a young age. He's also proficient at math and plays the cello and piano.
“He would learn things very fast and he can concentrate and ask questions all the time,” said Daniel's father Chun Yu Liu.
Ottawa Hills Superintendent Kevin Miller says it was evident from the start that Daniel would need special attention because of his intelligence. Over the years, the district has worked with his parents, the district curriculum director, and the University of Toledo on how to meet his educational needs.
He says making the jump from fifth grade to high school made sense for Daniel.
“We try to provide curriculum offerings that will challenge him and intrigue him and keep him involved in the educational process at Ottawa Hills,” Miller said.
Daniel says he doesn't expect any problems making the transition to high school at such a young age. He plans to be embraced by classmates.
“It'll be nice because everybody knows me here. [It's a] pretty small school,” he said.
And Daniel plans to enjoy his high school experience even though he may be able to graduate in less than four years.
