Schools
Oakdale Patch Whiz Kids: Miranda Chimzar and Kaitlyn Kurtz
An Oakdale church awarded the 2011 graduates $1,000 scholarships.
Oakdale Patch Whiz Kids of the Week: Miranda Chimzar and Kaitlyn Kurtz
Accomplishment: Both soon-to-be college freshmen earned $1,000 scholarships from the women’s club.
Key to Awesomeness: Miranda Chimzar and Kaitlyn Kurtz have been members of Guardian Angels Catholic Church in Oakdale since before they were baptized as infants. Now all grown up and headed for college, the church’s women’s club is recognizing the two for all their volunteerism with the church over the years, and their academic achievements with $1,000 scholarships. Chimzar has played in the church band around the holidays, assistant led Sunday school, helped with the fall festival and helped with vacation Bible School. She has also volunteered at Woodwinds Health Campus for six years. Chimzar, who is headed for Hamline University to study biology on a premed track, hopes to become a forensic pathologist. In addition to her volunteerism, she was captain of the Woodbury High School speech team, and a participant in theater—both on the stage and behind the scenes.
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Kurtz has volunteered through summer stretch, helped with vacation Bible school, taught faith formation classes and conducted first communion interviews.
“I love the atmosphere that my church has created and I love the people there,” Kurtz said. “Everyone’s just so caring.”
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Outside of church, Kurtz was part of the National Honor Society, Key Club, Spanish Club and Community Youth Council. She plans to attend the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities and is thinking about taking premed coursework.
Each week, Oakdale 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 Oakdale Patch Whiz Kid. Submit your nomination in our comment box below or e-mail the information to patty.busse@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 and assign a photographer to take a photo. For questions, e-mail patty.busse@patch.com.