Whiz Kid: India Hubbard

Each week, Athens Patch will seek suggestions from readers for individual kids, youth groups, teens, and sports teams that wow us with their accomplishments.

Name: India Hubbard

Age: 12

Grade: 7th

School: Homeschooled

Accomplishments: India Jade Hubbard's name means Raging River. You can easily compare the complex world that lies beneath the calm surface of a river and India's reserved demeanor. There's more than meets the eye in regards to both, and I was honored to spend some time with India and get to know this young photographer.

India's family are long-time Athenians and her circle of family and friends is wide and deep. India lives with mom Sarah Hubbard, dad Jason Hubbard, and brother Kalib Hubbard on property that has been in the family for years. Her great-grandmother lives a stone's throw away. and the connectedness between multi-generations is something that has helped shape India to be who she is today.

India is the child of artists. Sarah Hubbard is an acclaimed quilter and Jason Hubbard paints in oils, often on untraditional surfaces like skateboards and guitars. India's interest and passion in photography is a huge part of her life. She has a photography Facebook page and is often behind a camera. India has found a weekly place to publish a carefully curated photo on Sarah's blog. You can find a view of the world through India's eyes every Tuesday on Quilting Earth Mama. Being a part of an artistic family means, "We know a lot about art, " according to India. Going to art museums is a fun way to take learning on the road and India especially enjoys The Carlos Museum at Emory and The High Museum as well as Athens's own .

Homeschooled her entire life, India likes "not having to sit at a desk all day." She enjoys writing and most often composes stories. Reading is one of her favorite things to do, especially outside in the woods. A fan of the mystery genre, India lists some of her favorite authors as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Rudyard Kipling, and Agatha Christie. Unique in her ability to fit in almost anywhere, India is deeply committed to the YA program at the . India is a regular at their teen programs like Wild Card Wednesdays and Books and Bites. Another aspect of her homeschooling is the Master's Academy. India attends lectures weekly and downloads assignments to complete at home independently. It's very similiar to the college learning model, requiring a lot of responsibility on the part of the student.

India's family often play games together (Quelf is a favorite) and has creative writing circles. India explained the family writing practice. The Hubbard's have a jar where every family member contributes story ideas; this makes it really fun because they all have such varying interests. Execution isn't complicated. When they're ready to write, the family gathers around the kitchen table, someone picks an idea, and they write for fifteen minutes on the selected topic. Afterwards, they share their writing.

Some of India's favorites things to do in downtown Athens include shopping at and eating pizza at (though she cited her mother’s kitchen as one of her top places she loves to grab a bite).

Key to Awesomeness: Sarah Hubbard summarized her daughter's awesomeness this way: "India has the freedom to explore who she is and it shines through in her general love of life, her sense of humor, her creative outlook and her enjoyment of being in nature.”

We want to hear about these amazing children and teens and select one each week as the Whiz Kid. Submit your nomination in our comment box below or email the information to rebecca.mccarthy@patch.com. Be sure to include all of the following information:

• Nominator's Name
• Nominator's E-Mail
• Whiz Kid's Name
• Whiz Kid's Age
• Whiz Kid's School
• Whiz Kid's Accomplishment
• Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness (what made him/her successful? Please include a 150-word description)

This is a fun way to highlight young people in Athens especially those who inspire. Athens Patch will feature as many students as possible.