Schools

Patch Whiz Kid of the Week—Brandon Ma

Seventh-grader is described as passionate debater, avid reader, drummer and Minecraft gamer.

Brandon Ma, Age 12

Schools:
Seventh-grader at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Cupertino and Young Genius Educational Center in Saratoga, Los Gatos and Fremont.

Accomplishments:


  • Undefeated champion, Young Genius Lincoln Douglass Debate Team, Panther Fun Debate Tournament at Presentation High School, Oct. 20, 2013
  • Straight-A student at John F. Kennedy Middle School

Key to Awesomeness:


Brandon discovered his knack for debating when he was in sixth-grade.

He was a member of the debate team at John F. Kennedy Middle School and his passion for debating grew when he joined Young Genius Speech and Debate Program, according to Young Genius Educational Center owner Helen Heinsohn.

"He is a natural debater, poised, confident and articulate," Heinsohn said.

Brandon recently competed at the high school level in the Lincoln Douglas debate tournament and impressed everyone with his passionate and thoughtful rhetoric, Heinsohn added.

He won all three preliminary rounds and was declared the winner in the final.

Brandon is also an avid reader whose taste in literature ranges from classics to popular fiction, Heinsohn said.

"He also loves reading about history and has a natural curiosity about the world around him," Heinsohn said in an email interview.

Brandon is a member of the Science Olympiad team at John F. Kennedy Middle School and is an active Boy Scout with Troop 566 in Saratoga.

Brandon likes music and plays the piano. He's a drummer in the Jazz Band at John F. Kennedy Middle School.

To stay fit, he practices Tae-Kwon Do and plays badminton weekly. In his spare time, he likes to create new worlds in Minecraft, according to Heinsohn.

When asked how a 12-year-old can be well versed in so many areas, his parents cite his self-motivation as being key to his success.

"Brandon is always eager to learn and is not afraid of hard work. He truly enjoys what he does and that makes everything fun for him,” his parents said in an email interview.



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