Whiz Kid: Mathlete Natalie Moronta

Whiz Kids is a weekly feature in which Patch profiles an outstanding youngster or youth group. This week's Whiz Kid is Natalie Moronta, who is awesome because she's got her sights set high on top notch colleges.

Whiz Kid: Natalie Moronta

Age: 17

School: Hoboken High School, incoming senior

Seventeen year-old Natalie Moronta has been a star on Hoboken High School's varsity tennis team for over two years now. She says she likes competing and breaking a sweat. “I like the fact that you have to run, that there's a lot of movement,” she says.

Natalie plays with the team during the fall season. She practices every weekday for two hours, and usually has matches against other schools three times a week. She plays in both singles and doubles matches. “It's a learning experience,” she says about doubles tennis. “You have to learn who you can work with.

Academically, Natalie enjoys studying history. "It's interesting to learn about the past," she says. "It helps jog my memory."

She also excels at math, both in class and with the school's math club. Her favorite type of math is algebra. “I love solving equations,” she says.

She meets with the math club during lunch to practice for tests, including the SAT, and also to solve extra but fun problems. “Then there's Pi Day, where we get to eat pizza,” she says.

With only one year left coming up at Hoboken High, Natalie has her sights set on applying for college. Her ideal school is Columbia. “It's close, it's a good school, and also my cousin goes there,” she says. She wants to study forensic science so she can become a criminal investigator.

This summer Natalie will continue her job working as a cashier at and also spend time with friends and going shopping.

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 to read about some outstanding youngsters in your community.