Whiz Kid: Future Novelist Barbara Schaefer

Whiz Kids is a weekly feature in which Patch profiles an outstanding youngster or youth group. This week's Whiz Kid is Barbara Schaefer, who is awesome because she's destined for a life full of intellectual pursuits.

Whiz Kid: Barbara Schaefer

Age: 16

School: Hoboken High School, 11th Grade

Hoboken High junior Barbara Schaefer is a modern girl who has a fascination with bygone times.

She's particularly interested in 20^th century American history, such as the World War II era. “I like how the exterior seemed very conservative, but things may not have really been that way,” she says.

Barbara's other favorite subject is English. “I love to write, I've always loved to write,” she says.

Barbara takes inspiration from authors as diverse as Edgar Allan Poe and Chuck Palahniuk. In her spare time she often composes poetry, and she already attempted to write a novel while in the third grade. She still has an ambition to publish a book by the time she finishes college.

Barbara is a good student and is the secretary for her school's chapter of the National Honor Society. She is also a member of the Harvard Model Congress debate team. Every year the team competes in a national competition in San Francisco.

Just as she enjoys history, Barbara also likes studying and debating current events. She spends a lot of time following politics.

“I like being up to date on what's going on,” she says.

Barbara went on the San Francisco trip last year and says she found the city to be very beautiful. During her free time there she visited some galleries, which fit with her other main interest in art. Alongside her poetry Barbara also paints. Her main artistic inspiration is Frida Kahlo.

Barbara plans to attend college, but she doesn't know what she wants to study yet. If she doesn't study writing or politics or art, she lists being an archeologist as a potential career. Whatever she does though, Barbara knows she can always keep learning new things.

“I want to remain in school my entire life,” she says.

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 Wednesday afternoon to read about some outstanding youngsters in your community.