This Persevering All Rounder has an Awesome Track Record

Whiz Kid's Name/Age: Kimberly Orpinela, 18.

Whiz Kid's School/Church/Community Center: .

Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: Now in her senior year at ERHS, Orpinela boasts a 4.2-weighted GPA and nine AP classes, including four this year (English, U.S. Government, calculus AB, and studio art). In addition to her class work, Orpinela was active in a multitude of clubs over the years at ERHS. She was the chairperson of the School Site Council, an organization of students, teachers and parents that helps decide the school budget. Orpinela was also the treasurer of Best Buddies, a club that works with ERHS's special education kids. Orpinela also excels on the field: A soccer player in 10th and 11th grade and a track-and-field star, she competes in hurdles, shot put, pole vault and the lap relay. She has won trophies in many of these events. Her medals include gold for 100 meters hurdles and silver for 300 meters hurdles. She has placed several times on the school all-time record board. Currently, she is striving to place on the board for shot put—"literally being an inch away"—as she puts it.

Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness: Orpinela is known to be extremely self-motivated and persevering in all she does. She excels on and off the field—in the classroom and in the boardroom.

Bonus Whiz Kid info: The youngest of five siblings, Orpinela was raised by her single mother, and still excels in the face of adversity. (Two of her siblings serve in the U.S. Army, and one of her siblings recently returned from a tour in Afghanistan as a combat medic.) Orpinela is currently one of four finalists for the Centennial Scholarship, which pays full tuition to Occidental College, but she has also already been accepted to UCLA and Cal Poly, among many other colleges and universities. She wants to major in child development or psychology because she loves working with kids—and she also wants to broaden her horizons as much as possible during her college years.