Whiz Kid Challenges School Board

NAME: Garrett Smedley, 11

SCHOOL: Murrieta Elementary School, fifth grade

ACCOMPLISHMENT: Garrett recently went before the Murrieta Valley Unified School District school board to ask them to consider making a change to fourth grade field trips. He would like fourth-graders to also visit the Mormon Battalion historical site in San Diego, along with their annual trips to the San Luis Rey Mission in Oceanside. Garrett said it ties in with fourth grade lessons about the history of California, and that the battalion, a group of more than 500 Latter Day Saints, volunteered to help the U.S. Army in the Mexican-American war. The battalion marched through the Temecula/Murrieta Valley in 1847.  To read more about the Mormon Battalion, click here.

KEY TO AWESOMENESS: "He has no fear of anybody or anything, he will talk to anyone," said Jana Smedley, Garrett's mother. "He is our social boy."

Jana, along with Garrett's father, Craig Smedley, said he participates in just about everything--art, choir, athletics. He also keeps up good grades.

Garrett's parents say he hasn't heard back from the school board yet. Going before the school board was part of earning his merit badget in Boy Scouts. He has four brothers, two of which are Eagle Scouts.