Julie Warriner, Gifted Youth Coordinator
May 26, 2026
She's been in these Rising Tide pages since the beginning. This issue, we send her off right — with the story of how a gifted kid with a love of wildlife found exactly the path she was supposed to be on. Here's what she — and her mom — want every GY family to know.
Full disclosure: this one's personal.
Isla Warriner is my daughter and in May, she graduated from Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts with a focus in Communication Arts (filmmaking and creative writing). She's also a lifetime Mensa member, a Mensa Honor Society inductee, a Citizen Scholar Club Honoree, and a Lifetime Service Award Recipient, and if you've been reading this newsletter for a while, you already know her name. She's been a volunteer contributor to The Rising Tide since the beginning.
She applied to ten universities. She got into all of them, including two international schools and an Ivy League. And I don't think it was just her GPA that did it.
Here's what I mean. Isla has a 4.0. She took AP and AICE classes and sat for both the SAT and ACT, but like many gifted kids, she had a testing experience that didn't neatly reflect her abilities across the board. Taking both tests gave her the opportunity to put her best foot forward and make the choice about what to submit. That decision was hers, and she made it wisely.
Somewhere along the way, she stopped needing help with homework. And if I'm being honest, I eventually stopped checking her report cards. Not because I didn't care, but because I trusted her.
What I did watch her do was commit — fully and consistently — to the things she loved. For nearly four years, Isla volunteered in the animal care department at Busch Wildlife Sanctuary in Jupiter. The extra classes she took (summers and dual enrollment) included Biology, Environmental Studies, and Wildlife Science. When she had the opportunity to participate in a Cornell summer program, she wrote a research strategy on urbanization's impact on burrowing owls in South Florida. That paper went into every college application that accepted ancillary materials.
The advice we received early on, and the one I'll pass on to every GY family reading this, is that schools aren't just looking for achievement. They're looking for passion and consistency. Whatever your child loves, find the volunteer roles, the extracurriculars, and the classes and summer programs that connect to that passion. Let their application tell one clear, coherent story.
And one more thing: if your child has the opportunity to take both the SAT and ACT — do it! I've heard so many stories of kids who shine on one and not the other, and that was exactly our experience. If they can take both, why not give them every option?
Isla's story was always wildlife and the environment. And it took her exactly where she was supposed to go.
This fall, she's heading to London to pursue an MSci in Wildlife Health and Biological Sciences at the Royal Veterinary College. I could not be prouder of her, and I won't pretend it isn't also a little bit heartbreaking for me. She's my only child and my best friend, and she is about to be very, very far away. But this is exactly where she's supposed to be, and I am her biggest fan. Always.
As parents, mentors, and as a Mensa community, it's easy to focus on outcomes — the scores, the accolades, the next milestone. But our real role is something quieter and much more powerful. It's to support without hovering. To guide without controlling. To advocate without defining.
Because these kids? They're capable of more than we can measure. Sometimes the most important thing we can do is step back and let them show us.
Watch out, London! Isla's coming for the wild ones!
💙 Julie, GYC & Isla's Mom
A special thank-you to Trisha B. (17) of PB Mensa Gifted Youth for the beautiful graduation photos of Isla! Trisha and a fellow high school student spent seven hours shooting and editing over 6,000 photos on graduation day getting them into families' hands the same day. We are so grateful for your talent and heart, Trisha!
About Isla:
Isla is a lifetime Mensan, Mensa Honor Society member, and has served as both our Communications Specialist and Newsletter Contributor since the very beginning. She graduated from high school in May 2026, and is pursuing a Wildlife Health Sciences degree in London. Click here to learn more about Isla!
About the Author:
Julie serves as the Gifted Youth Coordinator and Member-at-Large for Palm Beach Area Mensa, where she has led the chapter’s revitalized youth program since 2024. Under her direction, the group has expanded engagement, introduced creative initiatives, and achieved record participation in youth-led service projects.
A data strategist by profession and parent of a Mensa Honor Society student, Julie is passionate about fostering opportunities for gifted youth to lead, learn, and contribute meaningfully — all while keeping balance and joy at the heart of the experience.
Click here to learn more about Julie!