Nineteen-year-old Mario Šantić from Zenica achieved a result that placed him among the 2 percent of the world’s most intelligent population on the latest Mensa high intelligence test.
At the last Mensa test in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Šantić achieved an outstanding result with an IQ of 152 according to the Kattel scale and an IQ of 133 according to the Wexler scale, ranking him among only two percent of the world’s population who achieve such high results on an internationally recognized intelligence test.
In an interview with Klix.ba, Šantić said that he finished elementary school at the Catholic School Center “Sveti Pavao” in Zenica and that he is attending the 4th grade of the KŠC “Sveti Pavao” high school.
From a young age, he was attracted to mathematics and physics, but in all this he did not lose all that life brings with it, such as time for play and rest.
“I was fascinated by how and in what ways the world around us works. Of course, I couldn’t know much about it at the time, but just being interested in it was enough for me to do much more research about it today. In school I always achieved excellent results with with an average of 5.0 and I participated in numerous domestic and international competitions, I often tried to improve my intelligence, but we can also improve it with constant exercise and mental work that stimulates the brain to develop”, says Šantić at the beginning of the conversation and adds:
“I liked to play chess in my free time, but of course also video games. I don’t believe it was a waste of time because through them I gained a lot of knowledge and skills that had a direct impact on the person I am today.”
For all the results achieved, but also for the Mensa test itself and for the initiative to apply, he also thanked the mathematics professors, class teacher Sandra Gajić, who encouraged them to go for the test. About the testing itself, he says that 36 questions had to be solved in 40 minutes.
“The questions were made in a way to measure cognitive abilities without sociocultural and external influences. We were given 36 questions that we had to solve in 40 minutes, and all the questions were made in such a way that there are 9 pictures in a 3×3 square, where I need to complete the ninth picture which missing Now, after finishing it, I see that Katel’s intelligence test was more and more demanding as it got closer to the end, and it was not easy to see which picture was going. I am glad that the organization during the testing was very good and professional – it was not a problem to concentrate because, despite the number of participants, the working conditions were excellent, and there was complete silence,” Šantić told Klix.ba.
When asked what the Mensa certificate represents for him, he points out that it is a confirmation of his high potential, that it does not mean that he will just sit and watch the result, but that he plans to invest a lot more effort in order to use the potential and achieve what he wants to be in life.
“My plans are most likely to enroll in the faculty of electrical engineering or something related to physics/informatics. It’s hard to predict what will happen, but my plan is to finish college. After that, I’m still thinking about where I see myself in the future…”, he explained.
Although he does not like to stand out, he says that every day brings an opportunity for everyone to make a better version of themselves, stressing that working on oneself is the most important work that someone can do.
“It’s always nice to help and be a wind at the back of others, but primarily we have to try to be the best possible version of ourselves. It’s enough to change just 1% for the better every day, and over the course of a year, that’s a lot of shopping. Reduce one bad habit today, tomorrow walk a little more than yesterday, read 10 pages the day after tomorrow – everything starts with small steps to be another person or persons who will encourage and support us, but we will not achieve anything if we ourselves do not want to try to become the best version of ourselves that will to be proud of the change she made, proud when she looks at her old picture and can say ‘I’m better than that person!'” concluded this 19-year-old from Zenica.
