Whiz Kid: DHS Junior A Force for Good

Whiz Kid of the Week

• Name and Age: Joe Nash, junior
• School:
• Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: Joe organized and facilitated an anti-bullying conference with about 50 students at in November. He is recruiting and training young facilitators to take the conference on the road to area middle and elementary schools next year.
• Key to Awesomeness: Joe said his inspiration came from being teased throughout middle school. “I finally got to the ninth grade and I was like, you know, this is who I am…” and then one day, “I woke up one morning and I said, I’m going to do something about bullying,” he explained during a recent drama rehearsal for the department’s upcoming student-produced musical “.”
  
  Joe said he encountered “a lot of ‘no’s’,” but he knew that if he could just get a meeting with the new principal, Reuben Hepburn, he’d win some support. He missed an entire period convincing the principal’s secretary to block off 45 minutes for a personal meeting with Hepburn. He came to the meeting prepared with a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation and a folder outlining his proposed anti-bullying conference itinerary. Joe said that Hepburn seemed hesitant, but that he was persistent. “I was at that point between rude and not rude,” he admitted.
  
  When Hepburn gave Joe the green light, Joe said the next challenge was actually making it happen. “It started to get really big,” he said. “I went to my parents and said, ‘This is bigger than me. I need help’.” Joe worked for four months and missed a week of school putting the finishing touches on the conference. In the end he was able to recruit encouraging speakers from Bay News 9 and a six-foot-seven-inch stunt man from Disney and Universal Studios. Next year he has plans to expand. He’s currently recruiting students to take a more polished anti-bullying conference to younger students at area middle and elementary schools.
  
  One of his peers described him as "one of the nicest people" they know.
  

Know a great kid who made Eagle Scout or did your local soccer team take the championship? They could be our next Patch Whiz Kid honoree. Nominate your Whiz Kid by emailing editor Katie Dolac at Kathryn.Dolac@patch.com.