Whiz Kid: Birmingham YMCA Swimmer Reaches ACT Elite

Each week, Patch spotlights young people in the Birmingham community who are successful, talented and just plain awesome. Today we introduce the latest Whiz Kid:

Rohan Tangri

• Age: 17
• School: Troy High
• Achievements: This high achiever, a Birmingham Blue Dolphins swimmer since 2007, stands out academically as well as athletically. He's among a handful of students in Michigan, and about 600 nationally, who received the top composite score of 36 on the latest ACT college placement exam. As he begins his senior year, Tangri is a National AP Scholar for having earned an average score of at least 4 on eight advance placement exams. His weighted GPA is 4.35.  
• Key to Awesomeness: Tangri pursues diverse interests and welcomes challenges. After swimming at a small club for five years, he joined the nationally-ranked program four years ago. As a backstroke and freestyle racer, he has qualified for the national team since 2009 and will compete again in Ft. Lauderdale next April. He also competed in the Division 1 state high school meet since freshman year.
  
  After-school activities also include leadership roles in Troy High's BuildOn Club, which does community service. He participates in the Fed Challenge Economics Club, a competition sponsored by the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank, and he started a group studying global micro-loans.
  
  Tangri will apply to the University of Michigan and other colleges  with strong business education and swimming programs.

Do you know a local young person who deserves applause for volunteer work this summer? Or maybe your daughter's project challenges how we think about the environment? Or perhaps athletic achievements are worth sharing. Everyone deserves attention, and we want to tell these stories.

Email nominations to Editor Laura Houser at laura.houser@patch.com, provide the information shown above and include a photo with names and ages. Then, come back each Tuesday for our Whiz Kid spotlight; you never know who's up next.