Whiz Kids: Andover Students Named National Merit Finalists

Each week, Bloomfield Patch features students doing amazing things in their schools and in their communities. This week's Whiz Kids achieved academic excellence and have done something no other senior class from Andover High School could boast, until now.

Achievement: In September, we highlighted the 45 Bloomfield Hills Schools students who were named semifinalists for the National Merit Scholarship Program, including twelve from students in the Andover High School that showed academic excellence on the 2010 Preliminary SAT/NMSC Qualifying Test. Roughly 1.5 million students from 22,000 schools nationwide entered the program. Of those, 15,000 become National Merit finalists. Of that number, about 8,300 will be awarded scholarships.

The non-profit National Merit Scholarship Corp. recently announced all 12 Andover students remain in the hunt for portions of $34 million available for college tuition. The winners will be announced in the spring.

Andover Principal Rob Durecka said having that many finalists is something the district and community should take pride in.

"It is truly is an honor to have this many elite students as part of student body," he said. "It is testimony to the value their parents, community, and district places on education. To be part of the top 1 percent nationally academically is truly an incredible honor, these students are our best and brightest."

They are:

•  Mark Andonian, of West Bloomfield
•  Hiba Chaabi, of Bloomfield Hills
•  Allison Donnelly, of Bloomfield Hills
•  Stacy Hanus, of Bloomfield Township
•  Harrison Kenum, of Bloomfield Hills
•  Gregory Park, of West Bloomfield
•  Zachary Prebay, of Bloomfield Hills
•  Jonathan Schiff, of West Bloomfield
•  Jennifer Sterbenz, of Bloomfield Hills
•  Vic Sun, of West Bloomfield
•  Kyra Weeks, of Pontiac
•  Chelsea Zhou, of Bloomfield Hills

Do you know our next Whiz Kid?

Bloomfield 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 Art.Aisner@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