Even Nansemond-Suffolk Academy students sometimes want to go elsewhere to learn.

And thanks to the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth’s annual academic talent search, several NSA students have had that chance in recent years.

Five students from the school, and 10 from the entire city, took part in the talent search last year. Achal Patel did it two years ago.

“I thought I would do something to keep me busy,” said the ninth-grader. “It was a fun learning experience. It helped me get used to living in an environment away from home.”

The service, which takes place on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, operates in 19 states and the Washington, D.C. It’s open to students from grades two through eight.

Roughly 77,000 students took part in the event last year, said a spokesman from the John Hopkins Center. More than 4,800 were from Virginia.

In 2004-05, the non-profit organization provided over $5.7 million in aid to over 1,400 students, the agency spokesman said.

“It helped me think out of the box,” said Achal, who said he might like to attend the University of Virginia and study medicine or science.

Lucas George was the second member of his family to take part in the program; his older brother Frank participated a few years ago.

“It sounded sort of interesting,” said the eighth-grader, whose experience helped him take the SAT test last spring.

“I did OK,” he said of the SAT. “Math is my best subject. I’d like to work with electronics someday. I like making stuff with my hands.”

For more information on the program, call 410-735-6278.