Beachwood Patch Whiz Kid of the Week Claire Bruening

Age: 12

School: Beachwood Middle School

Accomplishment: Claire has been chosen as one of three sixth-grade finalists (out of entrants from a dozen schools) in the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage’s Stop the Hate: Youth Speak Out essay contest and is eligible for up to $300 in prize money.

Key to Awesomeness: Doing her best, she said. Claire said getting straight As is a requirement in her home, and she works hard to achieve that every grading period. She takes her time on assignments, she said, starts early and does extra credit assignments when they are offered – and she gets those A's at the end of nearly every class. This essay was a class assignment at BMS, and she tackled it in the same way.

Claire wants to be a veterinarian, and said that her father told her writing is important to any career – for her grades and admission into a good college.

Claire also noted that she has made a pact with the other Beachwood Middle School finalist (also next week’s Whiz Kid) to donate half of whatever prize money she wins to charity.