For these high school seniors, school comes easy. They're two of more than 200 students involved with gifted education at Rock Bridge High School. Misra is a semi-finalist in the prestigious Intel Science Competition, and Hatfield did research at MU as part of an internship program. They're both involved in Model UN, and Misra also competes on the debate team. 

But for some gifted students, excelling socially and emotionally doesn't come quite as easily as understanding science or english. 

"We try to help meet the social and emotional needs of the child, help them put their high abilities and who they are all together so that they're happy and well-adjusted," gifted education teacher Marilyn Toalson said. "We also have some students that are gifted that are more at-risk. We deal with them a little differently; we try to get them into classes they're passionate about to get them into school."

In-class programs involve seminar sessions, internship and volunteer programs, and advanced or AP classes. But some out-of-class programs throughout Missouri also aim to make a difference for gifted students. One of those is the Missouri Scholars Academy, which allows students to explore an academic course of study and enjoy related academic activities with gifted students from across the state. It's companion program, the Missouri Fine Arts Academy, involves academically-focused students in activities that let them color outside the lines a little.

"The experiences there really push you to do exactly what you're feeling at that moment or exactly what you're thinking and vocalize it and I feel like you don't really do that anywhere else," said Hannah Campbell, a high-achieving Rock Bridge student who attended the program for dance. 

With a state budget that has little room for extras, the question of cutting public funding for these programs has been on the table for awhile. Hatfield and Misra, who both attended the Missouri Scholars Academy and feel it helped shape their plans for the future and perceptions of statewide academic opportunities, wanted to make sure that public funding continues so students don't have to pay for the program. They feel that if that was the case, less students would be able to attend. 

"I think the way MSA brings higher income kids, lower income kids all together but you leave all that stuff behind, you're just there for learning, and I think that's the most enriching part of the program," Misra said. 

Misra said he felt the legislators took he and Hatfield's words to heart, and that they really made it easy to express their opinions.

"Usually they just go to lobbyists or statistics to make their opinions," Misra said. "But I think having a direct...someone who's been in the program, experienced the program, having that first hand opinion is very different to them because they don't get a student opinion every day."
Hatfield said it was important to point out that, at times, gifted students have different needs.

"There are lots of perceptions people have about gifted or intelligent kids that are a little bit skewed. One of the prevailing opinions that you see is that intelligent kids have the initiative and ability to do it on their own," Hatfield said. "Lots of times the gifted kids are the at-risk kids. There are lots of social, cultural and emotional needs of gifted kids that because of their high intelligence or gifts in that one area they might have deficiencies in other areas."

Democratic Representative Mary Still of Columbia said that with the current state of the budget, it is difficult to provide for all programs, but that she hopes "we can do everything we can to come together and make these programs happen."