Braden Lauer’s family always knew he was smart. When the now 23-year-old UBC law student was growing up in St. Albert, older sister Megan remembers how her brother would absorb information like a sponge, solving puzzles and doing crosswords whenever he could.
When he was a student at Paul Kane High School, Megan said, Braden took an interest in calculus, but wasn’t registered for the course. He bought the text, read it, challenged the final exam and passed, earning the credit without taking a single class in the course.
“We always knew Braden was especially gifted and super smart, but he’s laid back too – not a Type A or anything. He’s modest about his successes,” Megan said. It comes as no surprise to the Lauer family then, that Braden, who recently graduated with a commerce degree from the U of A (on full scholarship, naturally), was just announced as one of the top 32 contestants (out of some 4,000 who applied online) on the CBC TV show Canada’s Smartest Person.
“The PVR is set – we’re all super-excited – my parents and two other brothers too. I’d put money on him being the winner, because Braden can stay calm and cool under high-pressure situations,” Megan said.
“It was a long process from applying to the interviews, but when I got the call I was really surprised,” said Lauer from Vancouver, where he’s started his second year of law studies. “We filmed in August in Toronto, so I know the results, but like a good lawyer, I’m sworn to secrecy. I’m going to have a viewing party and watch with friends. And my parents will watch in Vernon with my youngest brother Bryce, who is 11 – he’s so excited, telling all his friends to watch too.”
The show will unfold over nine episodes, where teams of four perform challenges in six areas of multiple intelligences: logical, visual, physical, linguistic, musical and social. The winner of each episode will return for the finale when one will be named Canada’s Smartest Person.
“The show was a positive, enlightening experience. I’ve always been around students my own age, but this show reminded me of the amazing talent and intelligence across the country in people of all ages, all walks of life,” Lauer said. “There’s athletes, a CEO, students, stay-at-home moms, actors – there’s not just one definition of what smart is, and the show made me want to be a balanced person.”
In fact, Lauer said that’s the way he was raised, playing Boggle with his dad for hours on end, electric guitar in the high school band and “singing a mean karaoke.” But what stays with him most, Lauer said, is the message his dad passed along to “set goals and have high expectations for myself. He wants all of us kids to be proud of ourselves, whatever we choose to do.”
While Lauer jokes it might be a “law and order” type career for he and one of his brothers (who wants to become a police officer), he’s most concerned right now with representing well for Paul Kane and all of St. Albert and the teachers and mentors who influenced him along the way.
“Going to law school was a pie in the sky dream for me, but it came true. I read tarot cards for fun, and told the show producers that my social intuition pointed toward me winning the show. So who knows?” Lauer said.
He will be featured on episode eight of Canada’s Smartest Person, airing Nov. 16 at 8 p.m. on CBC.
