Whiz Kids Consider Individual Rights vs. Common Good

Every week, Patch spotlights young people in the West Bloomfield community who are successful, talented and just plain awesome. We're pleased to introduce this week's Whiz Kid:

Yesenia Jimenez and Dru Brenner

• Ages: 16 and 17, respectively
• School:
• Achievement: These Political Leadership students traveled to a reception  at in Birmingham on Jan. 19 as winners in the Sherwin T. Wine essay contest, hosted by the American Civil Liberties Union. Yesenia, who plans to major in international relations at the university level, said  the essay topic asked writers to weigh how the rights of individuals have been balanced in the United States throughout history and how they felt it can be used in the future.
• Key to awesomeness: These two juniors said that they have a better understanding of political and societal implications based on their real-world experience. As part of the Political Leadership curriculum, Jimenez recently served an internship in the 48th District Court, while Brenner worked as a teacher's assistant in . "It gives a better insight into what you want to do. You might think you have a basic notion, but that’s all you have until you get there and you start working and you know what that position entails," said Dru, the Class of 2013 president at West Bloomfield High School.

Do you know a special young person in the community who deserves a round of applause because he volunteers instead of playing video games after school? Or maybe your daughter's science club is trying to challenge the way we think about the energy crisis? Or maybe your son's lacrosse team won its first game in three years? Everyone deserves a little attention, and we want to tell these stories.

So email your Whiz Kid nominations to Editor Tim Rath at Tim.Rath@Patch.com. Please include the name, age, school, achievement and key to awesomeness, as well as a photo. Then come back every week for our Whiz Kid spotlight; you never know who will be up next.