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Columbus kid-genius heading to National Memory Master competition
What were you doing at 12-years- old?
Max Kelly is not your typical 12-year- old.
A future homesteader and lover of animals, farming and engineering who uses 3-D printing to create gopher traps, working dynamite caps, diabetes equipment and everything you can think of, it’s no surprise that Max’s mind is recognized as one of the sharpest.
On Friday, May 16, Max will be competing against 15 other likeminded 12-year-olds across the country, taking part in the National Memory Master competition for a chance to win $10,000 and claim the title in Southern Pines, NC.
The nationwide competition is for Classical Conversation students, a Christian homeschooling program that educates children through a Christ-centered “homeschool curriculum rooted in the classical model,” blending weekly classroom experiences with the at-home learning model.
Sixteen finalists were selected from over 100,000 students nationwide who submitted video entries, with Max being named as one of the finalists.
In preparation for the competition, Max must practice memorizing and recal l ing three years’ worth of information across seven subjects: science, math, Latin, geography, timeline, history and English, and be prepared to answer 75 questions from each subject. Max’s mother Gina Kelly has guided him every step of the way ever since he was first recognized as a Memory Master at the age of six, culminating in this once in a lifetime opportunity.
“I really like learning, and I like challenges,” said Max. “When it was given to me, I was very excited since I’ve practically already learned all of it. I’ve been a Memory Master ever since I was six, every single year. My mom has helped me a lot, especially in preparation using flash cards.”
Gina says her husband Matt, Max and his brother have been a part of Classical Conversations, the homeschooling program that oversees the competition, for the past 12 years, meeting at the First Baptist Church every Monday, which serves as their Columbus campus for the in-classroom portion, with 15 other families.
She says she already views Max as a winner and is grateful for him to get the opportunity to be a part of something special while making new friends from across the country, planning on taking advantage of being out in North Carolina.
“In my mind, he’s already a winner,” said Gina. “This whole experience is an awesome opportunity and we’re just having fun, making relationships with the other families and other contestants along the way. We’re going to go hiking and enjoy our time out there.”
Max says that he’s taken the entire process step by step, moving the goalpost further back every time he’s accomplished the targets he’s set for himself. Despite being “horrified” as he told his mother, he’s going to give it his all and stay in the competition as long as he can.
“My mom asked me a couple weeks ago, ‘are you nervous?’ I say, no, I’m not nervous, I’m horrified,” said Max. “It’s a huge thing for me. I’ve never done anything like this, but I’m working hard for it. My original goal was to get into it and submit a video, and the next goal was to get selected. Now I think my goal is to just stay in the game as long as I can and not pass out on stage.”
Max encourages all and others his age with to pursue their dreams and passions with words of advice he received from his personal hero, the 2024 National Memory Master, “to work hard, really, really, hard.”
“If you are going towards something and you’re actually passionate about it, then work hard, really, really, hard,” said Max.
A watch party with a livestream of the competition will take place the day of the event, on Friday, May 16, at the First Baptist Church in Columbus. A jeopardy game, where fellow Memory Masters will compete against Max, the National Memory Master, will take place on Monday, April 21, 12 p.m. at the First Baptist Church.
