Pennbrook Seventh Grader Receives PAGE Distinguished Student Award

Tony Di Domizio | North Penn Now•

Sanat Shrikhande, center, received the 2023 Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education’s Distinguished Student Award.

A Pennbrook Middle School seventh grader is one of two students across Pennsylvania to receive the 2023 Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education (PAGE) Distinguished Student Award.

Sanat Shrikhande received the award on Nov. 3 due to achievement in academics, the arts, innovation, leadership, and/or service to students across Pennsylvania. Shrikhande, according to PAGE, achieved his fullest potential and is a high-ability student.

"His teacher told us she doesn’t know any student in the last 30-plus years who received this award,” said Shrikhande’s mother, Kirti, a cook who produces Kirti’s Kitchen Katta on YouTube.

Sanat is a dedicated volunteer at the Philadelphia Ganesh Festival and is a member of Troop 84 of Scouts USA.

"This past school year, Sanat was a member of the MathCounts video challenge team,” Kirti said, adding her son solved Scholastic’s "The Hardest Math Problem Contest” for two consecutive years.

Sanat has also received the Presidential Award for Academic Excellence, she said.

Kirti expressed her gratitude for those who helped her son get to where he is today, during Sanat’s recent red belt test at Action Karate North Wales.

"We met (program director Felicia Nichols of Action Karate) one fine day and changed his life completely,” Shrikhande said. "We are so thankful. His focus has changed, he is out of physical therapy, and last week in Harrisburg we were receiving a PAGE excellence award.”

According to PAGE, one child per grade range category can be named a Distinguished Student and each winner gets a certificate and a $100 check to be used to further their intellectual, artistic, or service pursuits.

Eligible students are nominated by parents, teachers, peers, or community groups, who are outstanding in academics, the arts, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit, and community leadership.