Ambar Ashraf, 11, 6th grade Daniel Ashraf, 9, 4th grade Arbor Montessori School The creative juices are clearly overflowing from siblings Ambar and Daniel Ashraf, residents of Brookhaven Fields. These rising 6th and 4th graders, respectively, are full of artistic energy and musical talent, and are the epitome of the definition of artistic. Ambar, 11, is a self taught computer animator, and, combined with her love of cats, helps to create animations that play along with music. She decided one day she wanted to learn how to create the animations she enjoyed watching online, found free software …

Samantha and Kelly Fisher, 8  3rd Grade, Ashford Park Elementary While twins often share only a birthdate and similar looks, Sammy and Kelly Fisher share much more than that! These 8 year old red heads are both part of the Discovery (gifted) Program at Ashford Park, as well as award winning students. Their strong sense of empathy and compassion not only come across in the way they listen, learn and respect people around them, but has earned them a spot on the front page of the Brookhaven Reporter highlighting a lemonade stand they created with their friends, raising $45 to help with a new …

Schuyler Morales, 17 Senior, St. Pius High School There is no debate that this Brookhaven Fields resident is a special kid! Schuyler Morales doesn't just have a passing interest in politics, but has devoted much of his time to fulfilling his future plans of being involved in the political world. This upcoming senior at St. Pius is a member of the debate team and Model UN and recently won an award by the National Hispanic Recognition Program, an honor bestowed nationwide to only 5,000 of the 200,000 highest-scoring Juniors who take the PSAT/NMSQT who designate themselves as Hispanic or Latino…

Meredith Arra, 18 Class of 2011, Marist School Another Harvard bound student from Brookhaven Meredith Arra, 18, is ensuring that the rising Seniors at Marist have a lot to live up to during their upcoming final year. This recent graduate of Marist is joining fellow Brookhaven Whiz Kid Amanda Glover Bradley at Harvard in the Fall, and is doing so with numerous honors under her belt. She has won several awards during her time at Marist, including the 2010 National Spanish Examination Junior Travel Award, which was based on her achievement on the National Spanish Examination and her language …

Kennedy Shannon, 7 First Grade, Ashford Park Elementary This youngster is a s-t-a-r speller, a musician and more! When Kennedy Shannon began taking spelling tests she had no idea that she would never miss a single word, making her a 'queen' bee speller! This is not a surprise, given this seven year old also makes straight A's in her first grade class! "Kennedy is very serious about her homework assignments, whether it be schoolwork or piano assignments," said her mom, Jessica Shannon.  "She has a very clear idea of the right way to do things and refuses to stop until it's just right." School …

Aleena Miller, Age 7 A Brookhaven resident and local inspiration Aleena Hope Miller was born 7 years ago with a genetic disorder that has a typical lifespan of 6 months to 2 years. Yet this spunky girl has beat the odds with this defect that causes Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type I, the most severe and fatal form of the disorder and has become an inspiration to her family, friends and neighbors. SMA Type 1 restricts Aleena's ability to move, swallow or breathe on her own, but this doesn't stop her from living her life to its very fullest. Despite her full body paralysis she loves to learn…

Amanda Glover Bradley, 18 Senior, Marist High School This Harvard bound student is the epitome of an all around good student Being one of nine kids could make it difficult to stand out in the crowd, but Amanda Glover Bradley, a Senior at Marist High School, has blazed her way to the front of the pack, proving that she is a leader among leaders. Bradley, who was recently named a Gates Millenium Scholar for 2011, one of only 1,000 selected out of 23,000 applicants, is headed to Harvard in the Fall, with a background that few could compete with. She is not only the student body co-president of …

Javier Garcia, 18 Senior, Cross Keys High School Another athletic and academic star from this overlooked Brookhaven school! Javier Garcia is keeping the academic standards at Cross Keys High School high by joining his fellow Whiz Kids honorees, Vy Tran and Mpaza Kapembwa, as a top scholarship winner at this local school. Garcia, who won not only a $50,000 a year scholarship to Pomona College but was also offered the Goizueta Foundation Scholarship at Reinhardt College, is also a high achiever in the world of athletics. This leader on the Cross Country team placed 9th at State, and helped lead…

Harrison Benfield, 6 Kindergarten, Cliff Valley School This well rounded 6 year old is the future of Brookhaven! Harrison Benfield is a seasoned traveler, visiting exotic international destinations like Costa Rica and domestic locales like Washington DC and San Francisco, all before the age of 7! His love of travel and his inquisitiveness about other cultures is an extension of his curiousity, and is a big part of his life. "Harrison is a great kid," said his mom, Elaine. "He's friendly to everybody and always wants to ask them questions about what they do and what places they have traveled…

Alex Chalmers, 16 Chamblee High School This Junior is proof of the success of Chamblee's Magnet program! Alex Chalmers, 16, is a great example of how important it was for the county to keep the magnet program at Chamblee High School. This National Honor student is a Junior at Chamblee and a testament to hard work and dedication. Not only does Alex excel academically, he is on the cross country team, and has managed the girls Varsity soccer team for the past three years. He started in the magnet program at Kittredge in the 4th grade, and has continued through the years, attending Chamblee …

Meghan Connolly Marist School, Senior This local student has worked hard to earn top honors When Meghan Connolly started Marist in the seventh grade, she had no idea that five years later she would be graduating from her class as Valedictorian. But this title is one that was earned with a lot of hard work, dedication and perseverance. She is a National Honor Society member, Co-President of the French National Honor Society, recipient of the schools class medal award for having the highest GPA in both 10th and 11th grade, and earned the biggest accolades this year when they announced her as …

Vy Tran, 18 Cross Keys High School, Senior Another outstanding student who moved to the U.S. at a young age Cross Keys High School is often overlooked in our Brookhaven community, but it is clear from the quality of students they turn out, that Cross Keys is doing something right. This multi-cultural school is proud to boast another Brookhaven Whiz Kid, Vy Tran, 18, who moved to America from Vietnam in the fourth grade speaking no English. She has spent the last 8 years not only perfecting the English language, but excelling in everything she has set her mind to. This STAR student (Student …