Schools

Andrew Heath, Winner of the Outstanding Senior in French Award

A three-year soccer player at Melrose High School and a trumpet player, Andrew plans to major in music in college.

Know a student who should be recognized? Scroll down for instructions on submitting a nomination.

Melrose Patch Whiz Kid of the Week

Catherine Ritz, French and Spanish teacher at , nominated Andrew as this week's Whiz Kid. Ritz said that Andrew is receiving the award due to his commitment to academics; leadership in the French Club; participation in the Global Education in Melrose program; and travel to France with the high school over April vacation.

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"Andrew is intelligent, mature, and well-rounded," Ritz wrote. "He has consistently managed to focus on his academics, being among the top students at Melrose High School, while remaining to committed to extra-curricular interests, such as music and languages. He has gone out of his way this year to make the French Club dynamic and to engage other students. As its co-president, he has helped organize events, encouraged other students to participate, and has truly been a role model for the younger members. It has been a pleasure for me to work with him (as one of the French Club faculty advisers), and I hope that he will be recognized for all his hard work and enthusiasm."

Why French? Andrew said, "it's a language that makes sense to me"—and, of course, he likes French culture and is looking forward to the high school trip to France next month.

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"I’m hoping my trip to France in April will be a real eye-opener to what it’s like in Europe and how other cultures do things a lot differently, but they make sense in their own way," he said. "There are a lot of different things to appreciate about each one."

An accomplished trumpet player, Andrew plans to major in classical performance in college, having already been accepted to Boston Conservatory, UMass-Amherst, Gettysburg and Syracuse, along with "a 'likely' from Carnegie Mellon," he added. Andrew has been playing trumpet for nine years, since the fourth grade, after starting with the piano in second grade, playing both piano and trumpet for a few years, and then deciding he liked trumpet best.

"Piano was a really solid foundation for just music in general," he said, before breaking into a grin. "You probably hear that a lot from a bunch of people—they all start on piano and end up on something else."

In his spare time, Andrew is a sports fan—he played soccer for three years at Melrose High School and on the varsity team last year—but has a wide variety of interests.

"I go to the gym sometimes—when I find time for it—and I'm also participating in the spring musical The King and I, playing the King," he said. "Basically, I just try to diversify what I’m doing—and stay in shape."

We need nominations!

Each week, Melrose Patch will seek suggestions from readers for individual kids, youth groups, teens, and even sports teams that wow us with their accomplishments. We want to hear about these amazing children and teens and select one each week as the Patch Whiz Kid.  Submit your nomination in our comment box below or e-mail the information to danield@patch.com. Be sure to include all of the following information:

  • Nominator's Name
  • Nominator's E-Mail
  • Whiz Kid's Name
  • Whiz Kid's Age
  • Whiz Kid's School
  • Whiz Kid's Accomplishment
  • Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness (what made him/her successful?)

If your nominee is selected, we'll contact you to set up an interview and photo. For questions, e-mail danield@patch.com.


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