Ms. Drake has faithfully served the students in Indiana as a classroom educator for over 50 years. For the last 22 years, she has taught in a self-contained high-ability classroom of third graders at Nicholson Elementary School in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Ms. Drake has served on the Broad-Based Planning Committee for Crawfordsville Schools for 33 years, and was instrumental in helping design and implement one of the first formal programs for gifted students in a public school corporation in Indiana.

As a 6th grader, Lucia was accepted to IUPUI through their Highly Accelerated Scholar Initiative for academically gifted primary and secondary students. Lucia has taken college-level courses in philosophy, English, and mathematics, and is currently pursuing independent math research on the Three Gap Theorem with the help of IUPUI professor Dr. Roland Roeder. Dr. Roeder describes Lucia as a motivated, precocious student with the right combination of mathematical ability and dedication to grow into a serious mathematician or scientist. Lucia was recently named a Davidson Young Scholar and was one of 55 national finalists for the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship.

Ruth joined the IAG Board over a decade ago initially as the parent representative. Her effectiveness in this role was quickly noted, and over the ensuing decade Ruth took on more and more leadership positions including chairing our conference, serving as our president, and most recently leading the local arrangements committee to support last year’s highly successful National Association for Gifted Children’s convention here in Indianapolis.

Ruth’s commitment to excellence and her passion for nurturing gifted students have left an indelible mark on IAG. Her tireless efforts have empowered us to evolve and adapt, ensuring that IAG continues to thrive.

Ginny Burney has been a member of IAG since the 1980s and served on the IAG Board of Directors for 27 years, retiring just this year. She started her tenure on the Board in 1996 and has served in many capacities, most notably as treasurer, advocacy chair, and president.