Whiz Kid: Groves Senior Makes Eagle Scout

This week's Whiz Kid is a Groves High School senior who was recently named an Eagle Scout, the highest award given by the Boy Scouts of America, for his community involvement and leadership.

Simon Trask

Age: 17

School: Groves High School

Achievement: On his way to achieving Eagle Scout status, Trask earned 29 merit badges and completed a major community service project by organizing roughly 50 volunteers to help with the Rouge River clean-up last spring. He also financed and organized completion of the trail improvements and firewood project at the E. L. Johnson Nature Center.

"The river is now clear of debris and flows freely through the nature center, trails are cleaned-up and mulched, and the sugar shack and pioneer cabins have split firewood for the stoves," Bloomfield Township Clerk Jan Roncelli said while reading from a proclamation unanimously approved by the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees in September.

Trask is also a member of the National Honor Society, the Groves High School Robotics team and the Groves High School Wrestling Team.

Key to awesomeness: Trask got involved with the Boy Scouts in first grade and has always shown a desire for leadership roles, his father Jim said. The teen said making Eagle Scout fulfilled a long-time goal and that the 12-year journey provided experiences he believes will help him throughout his life.

"Ever since I started I thought I could make it all the way to Eagle Scout and I now realize that not a lot of people do," he said. "I just kept working at it because once I realized that I could do it I just had to keep trying. I like to achieve my goals."

Do you know our next Whiz Kid?

Birmingham Patch welcomes suggestions for students, youth groups and even sports teams who wow us with their accomplishments. We want to hear about amazing children and teens and select one each week as Whiz Kid. Submit your nomination in our comment box below or email the information to editor Laura.Houser@patch.com. Please include all these details:

• Nominator's name
• Whiz Kid's name and age
• Whiz Kid's school
• Whiz Kid's accomplishment
• What makes him or her successful.