Whiz Kids features remarkable kids from the community who have excelled in sports, academics, creativity, community involvement, innovation, sports, drama and more. Patch is always looking for the next star pupil to feature, so if you have someone in mind, let us know, and your student, child, friend or acquaintance could be Patch's next whiz kid!

Whiz Kid: Juan Davalos, age 15-and-a-half

School: Freshman at Gilroy High School

Accomplishments:

• Was on the honor choir for one year at Glen View Elementary School.
• Started performing hip-hop at a young age.
• Played football for the San Jose Sharks in the spring of 2010.
• Started to do Zumba in the summer of 2010.
• Created a Zumba squad with the goal of holding benefit parties for in-need organizations. 
• Hosted a Zumba party with a Zumba instructor in December to raise funds for the freshman class (raised over $240) and will host another Zumba party in March.
• Vice president of the 2011 freshman class at Gilroy High.
• Continually works to make a difference in Gilroy and at Gilroy High School through volunteer work.
• Was recently selected to be a member of Gilroy High’s Mustangs Vision Project (M.V.P). The group works to ensure a better on-campus environment.  
• Maintains a high Grade Point Average.
• Worked with the freshman class and others to create a homecoming float that took second place.

Key to Awesomeness:

“I’m very motivated and my passions really force me to get up and start a new day. For me, school comes first and then everything else.

The one thing I really like to do is Zumba! I’ve liked dancing since I was small. The Zumba network is meant to bring everyone together, and you meet new people in every class or Zumba party. Zumba is just like a huge family, because if you walk into your first Zumba class, you will most likely see everyone talking, and adults are laughing just like they’re back in high school. I’m hosting another Zumba party with Jennifer, a Zumba instructor, in March because I really care about my class.

The M.V.P group is another passion of mine. We will try to change the little things in school, like adding a garden or painting a mural on the school’s wall. We try to come up with projects to make a change at Gilroy High School, but we need help and donations to collect the supplies that we need.

But all my accomplishments, I could not do by myself. I had the help of my family, friends, Gilroy High, and a lot of encouragement. And I think Zumba has really made me speak up more and interact with more people, and that’s why I make a great vice president, friend and worker. My goal is to do activities and have fun in my teen life while I can. —Young, wild and free. So fresh, so clean, class of 2015!”