Whiz Kid of the Week: Tyler Qualley

Whiz Kid’s Name: Tyler Qualley, age 18

Whiz Kid’s School: , Grade 12

Whiz Kid’s Accomplishments: Qualley has learned to balance his schedule with a variety of activities. He relieves stress by singing in the school choir, fuels his mind by building machines with the Fitch Senior High School , and exercises by playing ultimate Frisbee.

In September, Qualley completed his Eagle Scout project. After raising more than $1,000 to support his project, he built outdoor benches and picnic tables for the .

“I thought it would be great for the librarians to be able to do presentations outside when the weather is nice,” he says.

Qualley also earned his black belt in karate earlier this month, the pursuit of which taught him about discipline and hard work. Karate motivated him to reach a healthy weight, which was an empowering experience for him.

“Knowing I had the ability to work hard enough to lose the weight was great,” he says. “It was a lot of hard work, but it was worth it.”

Qualley enjoys the hands-on aspect of science, and hopes to study Chemical Engineering at the University of Connecticut in the fall.

"It's always been a dream of mine to make medicines that can help people," he says.

Key to his success: Qualley says a combination of factors helped him become successful, including the involvement of parents and teachers.

“My mom has always been there. At every scout meeting, every concert, she’s kept me going all these years,” he says.

He also is thankful for the influence of his middle school music teacher, Renee Celey.

“She was really helpful, giving advice about school and just everything,” Qualley says.

Qualley also believes lessons he learned through karate helped him in everyday life.

“The mantra was ‘Discipline, Dedication, and Hard Work,’ and that taught me a lot about not giving up,” he says.

Best Advice: One of the most important lessons he learned from earning his black belt was to stick with it, even when things got tough.

“Even if what you’re doing is a lot of work, don’t give up. It’ll be worth it when you finally reach your goals,” he says.

Know a great kid who made Eagle Scout, or helped your local soccer team take the championship?

Submit your nomination in our comment box below or e-mail the information to deborah.straszheim@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 Success

 If your nominee is selected, we'll contact you and assign a photographer to take a photo. For questions, e-mail deborah.straszheim@patch.com.