Whiz Kid: Katie Patterson, With Shakespeare Video

Each week, "Whiz Kid" highlights a local kid who's done something worthy of a shoutout.  

Katie Patterson

○    Whiz Kid's Age: 17

○      Whiz Kid's School: Maine South High School 

○      Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: Katie won second place in statewide competition for Shakespeare recitation, sponsored by the Illinois High School Shakespeare Competition. 

Her AP English 4 teacher, Tricia Valko, assigned the class to memorize and perform soliloquys from Shakespeare, and after Katie performed hers, Valko recommended she enter the statewide competition. John Muszynski, the school's drama coach, helped her to prepare it. 

Katie represented Maine South at the statewide competition held at Roosevelt University in downtown Chicago Feb. 16, and won her second-place honor.

○      Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness: Katie first read Shakespeare in seventh grade, and credits her teacher at District 64's Lincoln Middle School that year, Mrs. De La Pasqua, for being so enthusiastic that it rubbed off on her.

Katie also started getting active in theater in sophomore year, and will perform in Maine South's musical, "Once Upon A Mattress," at the end of April. 

She has a 4.19 GPA and plans to major in biology and minor in theater in college, though she hasn't yet decided which school to attend. 

Watch the video at right of Katie performing her soliloquy from Shakespeare's "Hamlet."

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