This Week's Whiz Kid: Jodie Guller

Name: Jodie Guller

Age: 18

School:

Awards/Achievements: Guller has received departmental awards in math, science and English. She's also received the  STARS Award for Excellence in Research and was a Blue Ribbon winner in both Parkway and Greater St. Louis science fairs, resulting in the 3M Discovery Education Young Scientist Award. She is also a Students Recognizing Students Award and a National Merit Scholarship finalist.

Key to Awesomeness:  Guller is passionate about her activities.

Jodie Guller is quite a busy young lady. She likes it, though, because she's doing things she loves. "I'm very passionate about everything, from my classes to extracurriculars, which makes it easy to invest so much time and effort into what I do," she said when asked why she's so successful.

While it might be quicker to list what Jodie doesn't do, here's a rundown of activities and organizations in which she actively participates:

• JV and Varsity lacrosse interim team captain
• Secretary of Mu Alpha Theta math honor society
• Varsity dance team captain and member of the All-American team
• Member of National Honor Society
• Student Council past treasurer and current student body president
• Students and Teachers as Research Scientists (STARS) Program
• JCRC student-to-student anti-discrimination club
• Co-founding president of Red Cross Club
• Parkway Student Legislative Forum
• St. Louis Crisis Nursery volunteer

An honors student taking the most rigorous course load offered, Jodie is set to become valedictorian; her class rank is first of 343 students. That is a lot of competition for anyone, but especially for Jodie, who attended Jewish day school Solomon Schechter through eighth grade.

"There were only 14 kids in my eighth-grade class," she said.

Jodie plans to study neuroscience in college and then go to medical school—big dreams that she's confident she can realize. She mentioned a Theodore Herzl quote (made famous in The Big Lebowski), "If you will it, it is no dream." Indeed!

If you would like to nominate a Whiz Kid, please send the following information to the editor at Gregg.Palermo@patch.com. Please include the following:

• Nominator's name and e-mail
• Whiz Kid's name, age, and school
• Whiz Kid's key to awesomeness (what made him/her successful?)

 Send in your submission today!