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Community Corner

Whiz Kid of the Week: Zoe Stoenner

This week's whiz kid is a stand-out, whether it's in her work mentoring young children or atop a 14,000-foot peak.

Name: Zoe Stoenner

Age: 17

School: Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn Heights

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Accomplishments: Stoenner has just returned from a semester at High Mountain Institute (HMI), in Colorado, a semester school for talented and leadership-minded eleventh graders.  There she not only worked with other exceptional teens in a rigorous academic setting, she also gained extensive mountain climbing and canyoneering experience.

Back at school in Brooklyn, Stoenner is an academic standout, plays oboe in the school symphony and is a member of the yearbook staff. She was awarded the Gold Presidential Service Award for outstanding volunteer service and volunteers regularly at the Museum of Chinese in America and mentors younger children who were adopted from China.

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Key to Awesomeness: As one might imagine from someone willing to spend a semester at a wilderness-focused school thousands of miles from home, Stoenner has a "perseverance and willingness to try new things outside of her comfort zone" according to her father, Tim.

Stoenner clearly has a mutual respect for her parents, saying, "I think I have the best support system, my parents." She also cites advice from her father as being instrumental in getting her through the tougher moments. "He said, 'one step at a time, that’s all you can do.'"

Stoenner also credits her recent semester in Colorado as a source of her strength, as well as the value of her volunteer work. And she doesn't just inspire the kids she works with: "her adventurous spirit and her disciplined follow through are an inspiration to me when I’m faced with challenges in my own life," her father said.

In Stoenner's own words, "To be successful, it’s important to take advantage of opportunities when they are in your path, and work hard with care." Advice she's clearly putting to good use already.

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