Whiz Kid: Future Attorney Jazmin Vergara

Whiz Kid is a weekly feature in which Patch profiles an outstanding youngster or youth group. This week's Whiz Kid is Jazmin Vergara, who is awesome because she's learning to argue the finer points of law.

Whiz Kid: Jazmin Vergara

Age: 15

School: Hoboken High School, 10th Grade

Fifteen-year-old Hoboken High School sophomore Jazmin Vergara wants to become a lawyer. “I have ever since I was a kid,” she said.

She's not sure yet what kind of law she wants to practice, but she likes the idea of arguing cases on behalf of other people.

“It's empowering to put together a good argument and be able to say they're wrong and we're right,” she said.

Vergara is already putting her debating skills to good use as a member of the Harvard Model Congress, where students emulate congressional members and draft, debate and pass legislation. Every year, the team at Hoboken High participates in the national competition in San Francisco.

Vergara also has another passion, for acting. She's a member of the school chorus and is active in the high school's award-winning theater program. She has appeared in the school's productions of Hairspray, Alice in Wonderland, Voices, Mulan and .

“I hope to have ten shows under my belt before I leave school,” she said. “I feel like a whole new world is up there on stage.”

Vergara maintains her presence in the theater program by serving as a member of the drama club. She's in several other groups, including the art and environmental clubs, and is also a member-at-large of the committee that organizes events for her class.

Vergara said she likes studying history. “I get to learn what happened before me,” she said. And in her spare time, she listens to music and volunteers for the American Heart Association.

Though she still has a few years to decide, Vergara already knows she wants to attend Michigan State University and major in law and minor in drama.

Why does she want to go to Michigan State? “I looked into the law program there," she said. "It's awesome."

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 every week to read about some outstanding youngsters in your community.