Andrew BednarzikSchool: Calvert Hall College High...

Andrew Bednarzik

School: Calvert Hall College High School

Hometown: Columbia

Age: 17

Andrew, a senior in the McMullen Scholars Program at Calvert Hall, has a 4.0 grade point average. The scholarship is awarded to students who score high on an entrance exam and meet other requirements, such as taking Latin and humanities classes and doing a thesis in their senior year. Andrew's thesis is on economics and the change in the work force from an industrial to a service-oriented society.

Andrew's mentor is his father, Robert, an economist with the U.S. Department of Labor.

This year Andrew is taking all advanced placement classes, including English, calculus, European history and physics.

Andrew received a Maryland Distinguished Scholar Honorable Mention and is a Commended Student in the National Merit Scholarship Program. He also is a tutor for students at Calvert Hall.

Andrew, a co-captain of Calvert Hall's soccer team, also plays sweeper for the Columbia Rangers. The Calvert Hall soccer team won the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association League Championship last year, but lost in the semifinals this year.

Each summer since Andrew's freshman year, he has been involved with the Appalachian Service Project through St. John's Roman Catholic Church in Columbia. He helps rebuild houses for people in Appalachia.

Andrew has also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in Baltimore.

Andrew's parents are Robert and Barbara Bednarzik.

Plans: Andrew plans to study computer science or computer engineering in college. He is interested in attending the University of Pennsylvania or Cornell, Brown or Columbia universities.

His comments:Concerning his trips with the Appalachia Service Project, he said: "It's really fun. There were four kids and two adults, and we helped repair people's homes. It's really a neat experience to see how other people live. I never realized there was so much poverty in the rural areas. The people were really nice."

Send nominations to Jill L. Kubatko, Student Standout, The Sun for Howard County, 5570 Sterrett Place, Suite 300, Columbia 21044. Please enclose a brief description of the student's activities and a phone number for the student.