Whiz Kid: Debate Champ Jaemison Yoon-Hendricks

Whiz Kids is a weekly feature in which Patch profiles an outstanding youngster or youth group. This week's Whiz Kid is Jaemison Yoon-Hendricks, who is awesome because he's a leader among his peers.

Whiz Kid: Jaemison Yoon-Hendricks

Age: 15

School: Hoboken High School, 10th Grade

Jaemison is a prominent member of his school class. He's the vice president for the class of 2014, and he excels at conducting officer meetings and fundraising for class activities.

He's involved in a number of clubs which have raised his profile in Hoboken High. To start, he's a member of the Jumpstart program, where he mentors underclassmen.

This year Jaemison joined Hoboken High's award-winning Harvard Model Congress debate team, which competes every year in San Francisco. His sister, , is also on the team.

“I wanted to compete with her,” Jaemison jokes.

More seriously though, he does have an interest in debate. “Arguing for a good cause does stimulate me,” he says.

Jaemison is also a theater star. He's participated in the prestigious TADA youth theater program. He's in the school drama club and will soon appear in the school's production of the play Voices, for which he has four roles.

Jaemison's favorite genre of theater is the musical, or anything that has singing and dancing.

“That's really something that I enjoy watching,” he says.

In his spare time Jaemison continues his passion for music by serving as the lead singer in a rock band called Blistered that he recently formed with his friends. He has been playing the guitar for two years. In addition to rock music he also likes Broadway and world music.

Jaemison says his favorite subjects are media production and English. He likes reading and writing. “I can really put my ideas down there,” he says.

Jaemison says he plans to attend college, but he doesn't know yet what he wants to study.

“I'm not really be sure yet,” he says. “I'm interested in a lot of things, and it's hard to narrow it down.”

Do you know a Whiz Kid, or even a whole group of them? Send any and all nominations to alanskontra@hotmail.com, and check back each week to read about some outstanding youngsters in your community.