When Lemi-Ola Erinkitola founded The Critical Thinking Child, it was with the vision of empowering students to love learning for its own sake. As a parent or a teacher, you’re probably familiar with this urge – the desire to foster a deep appreciation for the process of thinking critically, asking questions, and exploring the world for its own sake (rather than rote memorization to pass a test). This month, Lemi, is celebrating the fulfillment of that vision in a way that hits close to home.
Lemi’s twin daughters, Tia and Tyra Smith, have graduated as co-valedictorians of the graduating class of 2019 at Lindblom Math and Science Academy in West Englewood, Illinois. Their success is the result of hard work and dedication – and it’s also an example of how the simple, pure joy of learning can lead to academic success.
It is, of course, a moment of incredible pride for Lemi, though she stresses that, “Their achievement did not come as a surprise because we’ve been working with them at a very early age.” Tia and Tyra followed a customized academic program that their parents set up from their birth, and they were the inspiration for the Critical Thinking Child. Once founded, CTC supported the twins through elementary school as well as their accelerated middle school years.
Lemi is particularly happy that they were named co-valedictorians. She says, “I was glad because they’re going to separate colleges and it put a nice, finishing touch on their years together academically. It was very, very emotional and goes beyond just the title. It was the fact they can share that platform together and a memory they can carry throughout their journeys in life.”
Tia and Tyra are high achievers, and they credit much of their achievements with the support and encouragement they received from their family, from CTC, and from each other. Tia remarks, “I think we’re successful because we’ve worked together throughout all these years.”
They’ll be going their separate ways this fall; Tia will study statistics and theater at Duke, and Tyra will attend Northwestern University to study economics and theater.
Even with nearly 800 miles between them, their love of theater continues to unite them in their studies. In high school, both young women were active in local theater groups and enjoyed learning about all parts of theater, from set design to directing to fundraising, in which they displayed other students’ artwork and created Lindlom’s first black history art gallery, which they titled “More than 28.”
Tia and Tyra’s successes have been spotlighted both locally and nationally, as publications like the Chicago Sun-Times ran a feature article on them. They have also been featured on Good Morning America and the New York Post. In their Good Morning America Spotlight, they talked about the importance of going the extra mile to meet with teachers during office hours and express any confusions or obstacles.
The twins’ success shows that academic performance doesn’t start when your child enters high school. By having clear, high expectations for your child at an early age and working with professionals like CTC to create a customized learning plan, you can set your child up for success at any age, teach them to think critically, encourage them to pursue what they enjoy, show them how to navigate asking for help, and help them love learning in the process!
