Whiz Kid: Seaholm Student Named One of Michigan's Top Volunteers

Every week, Patch spotlights young people in the Birmingham community who are successeful, talented and just plain awesome. This week, we're pleased to introduce this week's Whiz Kid:

Emily Smith

• Age: 18
  
•  School:
  
• Achievement: Emily was awarded one of two 2011 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, making her one of the top youth volunteers in Michigan. With the award, Emily receives a $1,000 scholarship and an all-expense paid trip to Washington D.C.
• Key to Awesomeness: Emily began volunteering with her youth group at the First United Methodist Chuch in 8th grade and has been passionate about dedicating her time to others ever since. In an effort to raise a penny for every person affected by AIDS in Africa, Emily's youth group has raised $270,000 during the past four years, money that was used to support the Methodist Faith Healing Hospital, send African youths through high school and buy food for children orphaned by HIV. Emily herself has been to Ghana twice, co-leading her last trip this January. Emily has also volunteered in the pediatric ward at Beaumont Hospital for the past four years, and is excited to study medicine at Michigan State this fall.

Do you know a special kid in the community who deservers a round of applause because he volunteers instead of playing video games after school? Or, maybe your daughter's science club is trying to challenge the way we think about the energy crisis? Or, maybe your son's lacrosse team won their first game in three years—everyone deserves a little attention, and we want to tell these stories.

So email your Whiz Kid nominations to Editor Laura Houser at laura.houser@patch.com, fill out the information given above and include a photo with names and ages. Then, come back every Wednesday for our Whiz Kid spotlight; you never know who will be up next.