CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — Lannister Lignabou is North Florida’s youngest Mensa member.
He has an IQ of 150.
Mensa is the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world.
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Keep in mind, in the United States, the average IQ is 98.
The Duval County VPK student will likely skip kindergarten and enroll in first grade in the fall.
“We adore him and everybody thinks their child is smart,” mother Amy Lignabou said. “So once he started preschool last fall, his test scores were really, really crazy high. That’s when we started thinking maybe we should get some additional testing done.”
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Lanni’s father, Fabrice recalls signs early on.
“I never did any baby talk with him, and he always showed a very good memory,” Fabrice said. “Once he started talking, he would recall stuff that would just happen in passing and be like ‘Oh, what about that person?’ So I had an inkling.”
Lanni’s 10-year-old sister is also a member of Mensa.
Here’s what Lanni is most interested in right now.
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“Stop motion,” Lanni said.
The 5-year-old makes his own movies.
“It’s super cool when you get into it,” Lanni said.
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Action News Jax Kennedy Dendy asked Lanni how it works.
“You have to take frames and things and then you have to move them a little,” Lanni said. “And then you can press a button and then it shows you what you have done. And then it’s like real life. It’s a movie.”
Lanni also likes to act, play sports, and has quite the dance moves.
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“We don’t want to push him to be something other than just a five-year-old little boy,” Amy said. “At the end of the day, yes, he’s incredibly gifted -- but he just turned five. So that is something I think that will continue to be a balancing act for us over the years especially while he’s still young -- to guide him without pushing or putting our expectations on to him.”
They shared that his gift comes with great responsibility to make a difference in this world.
“I want you to be happy,” Fabrice said to Lanni. “So I want you to always remember your sisters and that you guys -- when the three of you are together and working together, there’s nothing you can’t accomplish. I want you to remember where you came from, not just Jacksonville but your roots back home and in Gabon. Remember how much love you have at home.”
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The Lignabou family is looking into schooling options for the fall.
“Parenting him is a privilege and a joy,” Amy said. “He’s a sweet little guy on top of everything else. We want to make sure that we provide him with every opportunity to reach as high as he possibly can, and I’m positive he’s going to do that. I can’t wait to see how he changes the world.”
When Lanni was asked what he wants to be when he grows up: “Sonic,” Lanni said.
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