Maya Bloom has been a dedicated member of MENSA since the age of 12. MENSA was founded in 1946, in Oxford, England, by Roland Berrill and Lancelot Ware. American MENSA is the largest national branch of MENSA, with more then 57,000 members. There are more than 100,000 members worldwide. With approximately 313 million American citizens, only an estimated six million are eligible for membership in MENSA. The organizations has members who range from age two to age 102 and who work as engineers, homemakers, teachers, actors, athletes, students, and CEOs. What is the one thing they all have in common? High intelligence. Maya Bloom had to score in the top 2% of the general population on an accepted standardized intelligence test.

As a member, Maya Bloom has had the opportunity to meet other intelligent individuals at local, regional, and national levels. MENSA hosts intellectually stimulating events where members can exchange ideas. Maya Bloom talks about her time with MENSA and the impact it has had on her life. “I was so excited when I was first admitted into MENSA,” she said, “It is an extremely competitive society to gain membership into and I was thrilled when I scored high enough on a standardized test for admittance.” Maya Bloom believes that MENSA has helped her network with other motivated individuals, which has led to her growth in academics. “Every time I go to a MENSA meeting, I am inspired by all the great minds that are in attendance. The relationships I have formed are priceless and have helped me further grow in academics. Whenever I have a new idea or question, I bring it to the table at one of our meetings. The other members of this society always help me take my ideas to the next level,” Maya Bloom stated.

The three purposes of MENSA are to 1) identify and foster human intelligence for the benefit of humanity, 2) encourage research into the nature, characteristics, and uses of intelligence, and 3) provide a stimulating intellectual and social environment for its members. Maya Bloom notes that MENSA contributed greatly to her original research paper, “Are Organic Foods Free of Genetically Modified Organisms?” Maya Bloom says, “In the future I hope to conduct more research, and I know that MENSA will help my ideas grow.”