Whiz Kid: Jake Lang

Name: Jake Lang

Age: 7

School: in West Hempstead

Accomplishment: Nominated for the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth.

Each year, St. Thomas the Apostle participates in this prestigious national program to honor children who excel in the classroom. Jake was one of only eight second  grade students at St. Thomas to be selected for the program after scoring in the 95 percent range on the IOWA exam. He will be taking the SCAT (School and College Ability-Test) on Feb. 21 with the goal of qualifying for online programs and seminars offered to kids around the country who meet certain standards.

Key to Awesomeness: Jake is a well-rounded, smart kid with many interests. He's a Renaissance boy. His mom, Lori Lang, says he loves to cook, read and engage in everything related to computers. The 7-year-old has even created his own blog and uses the video conferencing software, Skype, to communicate with his extended family all over the country.

It's no surprise that his principal, Christina Teisch, of St. Thomas the Apostle, said, "Jake is a great student."

She added," He does wonderful work and we're all very proud of him."

Is your child a Whiz Kid or do you know a young person in the community that should be recognized for their talent, brains, volunteer work or accomplishments? Nominate them to be featured in this column by sending an e-mail to Tara.Conry@Patch.com.