Whiz Kids: Duo Helps Raise Dollars for Cancer Research

Name: Nicholas and Elise Knott

Age: 14 and 12

School: and

Accomplishment: Nicholas and Elise Knott know that helping others–particularly when it’s something you can relate to personally–can be its own reward.

The brother and sister–the former is entering Edsel Ford High School as a freshman in September and the latter attends class at O.L. Smith–spent July 26 helping raise money for breast cancer research by with their aunt, Dearborn Chamber of Commerce President Jennifer Giering.

In fact, Nicholas Knott and Giering are preparing to help again this weekend at the Ride for the Cure event in Ann Arbor. There, they will ride a 30-mile course together in support of cancer research.

Key to awesomeness: For the Knotts, a personal connection to people who suffer from cancer and their families are a big part of why they take time out for fund-raisers and other activities, including the Relay for Life, which Nicholas Knott has taken part in for four years.

“We’ve lost family members during the past few years to all kinds of cancer,” said Nicholas. “We wanted to do anything we could to help find a cure or help other people out.”

The Ride for the Cure will benefit the Susan G. Komen Center, which is dedicated to research and finding solutions for people with cancer. Elise won’t be riding just yet, but she’s a supporter and takes part in other events to help people, her brother said.

When school starts in the fall, Nicholas Knott will enter the ninth grade at Edsel Ford High School, where he will also attend the Dearborn Center for Math, Science and Technology. He also has earned a spot on the Edsel Ford Tennis Team. Currently, he is considering becoming a chef and would like to learn more about cooking in Europe.

Elise Knott has graduated in her karate class to the orange belt status, earned a 4.0 grade point average throughout middle school, and entered the Science Olympiad with a tower she built herself that only weighed 35 grams and held 35 pounds.

Nicholas and Elise Knott are the son and daughter of Carrie and Andrew Knott of Dearborn.

Do you know a Dearborn student who works as hard at helping others meet their goals as he or she does his or her own? Do you know a student who is generous with his or her time and spirit? Does that student have a philosophy of life we can all learn from? If so, we’d like to hear from you. Everyone deserves a little attention and we want to tell these stories.

Email your Whiz Kid nominations to Editor Jessica Carreras at Jessica.carreras@patch.com. Please include the name, age, school, achievement and key to awesomeness, as well as a photo. Then come back every Wednesday for our Whiz Kid spotlight. Your little helper may be smiling at you from your computer screen.