Alec Payne

Each week, Malibu Patch will recognize individual kids, teens, youth groups and sports teams that wow us with their accomplishments. Send in your nominations to jonathan.friedman@patch.com. We want to hear about these amazing children and teens, and we will select one each week as the Malibu Patch Whiz Kid. 

We launch our new series with senior Alec Payne, who has traveled to three far-away places, where he has helped others and bridged cultural gaps.

Whiz Kid: Alec Payne

Grade: Senior

School: Malibu High School

Accomplishment: In addition to being on the Honor Roll both semesters last year, Alec funded his own overseas trips (two of these at age 17).  He did this by bussing tables at and bagging groceries at .  

Alec took month-long trips first to Nepal, then Ghana and more recently El Salvador. In Nepal, he lived in a Buddhist monastery and taught English to the young monks. He also worked on an irrigation project in a small village. In Ghana, Alec lived in an orphanage, and took care of the children. In El Salvador, Alec, who speaks fluent Spanish, also lived in an orphanage. In addition to taking care of the children, he tended to the animals at their farm. On all these trip, Alec used his love of percussion to bridge cultural gaps and make friends. He is planning a trip to Kyrgyzstan.

Key to awesomeness: His openness to other peoples and cultures and that he brings music wherever he goes. Most importantly, Alec’s mother Zan wrote to Malibu Patch, “Friends and acquaintances in Malibu always tell me how cheerful and polite he is at work and what a pleasure it is to see a young man working to meet a goal.”  

To nominate a person or group to be the Malibu Patch Whiz Kid, send an e-mail to jonathan.friedman@patch.com.