Whiz Kid: Joey Smith

Name: Joey Smith, 13
School:
Accomplishment: Joey is headed to a regional spelling bee Feb. 26–to be held in Stone Mountain–after winning both her school's and DeKalb County's spelling bees, her parents said.
Key to Awesomeness: "I studied, and I've grown up with a lot of words," Joey said. "Both of my parents were journalists for over 20 years for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. I've grown up with a lot of books in the house."

Joey said she studied, usually for about a half hour in the evening on weekends, to prepare for both bees. As the regional bee approaches, she said she doesn't expect to change her gameplan.

"I'm going to study a lot like I did before," Joey said. "I don't know. I've never gotten this far before."

Joey's parents, Ben Smith and Michelle Hiskey, are also North Druid Hills-Briarcliff Patch contributors.

Know a great kid who made Eagle Scout or did your local soccer team take the championship? They may be our next Patch Whiz Kids honoree.

Each week, North Druid Hills-Briarcliff Patch will seek suggestions from readers for individual kids, youth groups, teens, and even sports teams that wow us with their accomplishments. We want to hear about these amazing children and teens and select one each week as the Patch Whiz Kid. Submit your nomination in our comment box below or e-mail the information to jonathan.cribbs@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 Awesomeness (what made him/her successful?)

If your nominee is selected, we'll contact you. For questions, e-mail jonathan.cribbs@patch.com.