Whiz Kid: Xander Massoto

One Burlingame teenager, Xander Masotto, will travel to Redmond, Wash. this weekend to compete in the U.S. finals of the Microsoft Imagine Cup. Of the more than 74,000 students who entered this year’s competition, a national software design competition that asks students how they would use Microsoft technology to help solve world-wide problems, Xander and his partner, Millbrae resident Julius Lee, are the only high school student finalists.

The two 16 year olds must now compete against 22 teams of college students. Both are juniors at Lick Wilmerding High School in San Francisco.

The winner of the U.S. competition will compete in the Worldwide Imagine Cup this summer in New York.

For a separate award, Microsoft is running a People’s Choice video competition. Xander and Julius are in ninth place, and with only a few days left to vote, they could use some community support. To vote for their team, XozGaming, visit http://apps.facebook.com/imaginecupcontest/?ref=bookmarks.

Good luck Xander and Julius!