Meet the National Merit semifinalists: Blake Kidd

This week's scholar is Blake Kidd, who excels in academics and sports. A member of the high school's swimming and tennis teams, Kidd says he loves the physical and mental challenge of the sports, the stress relief they offer and the opportunity to "hang with some really great guys."

Age: 17

Parents: Adam and Kay Kidd

How do you balance school and extracurricular activities? If there's one thing I've learned, it's to take everything in moderation. Too much of any one thing in my life unbalances me. There's a time for being at school and doing homework, for training in my sports, for congregating with my church, for hanging out with my friends and putting time into my family. The stress each generates is canceled out by a healthy dose of the others. And between each of those, though I know it sounds corny, is just time to think. To be alone, read a book, listen to music. It helps keep me sane.

What is your dream college and what do you plan to study? I would love to attend Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., and study biochemistry. I hope to use this to study alternative energy sources.

Who is your favorite teacher and how did she inspire you to learn? Mrs. Hankinson (La Profe), my Spanish teacher, is an awesome instructor. She challenges our class constantly, yet remains flexible enough in her curriculum that we learn about things we care about.

What is your most notable academic achievement? Being selected to attend the Missouri Scholars Academy in 2009 was a huge honor. I am incredibly proud to have been selected for that program.

What is the biggest challenge facing your generation? Duty and compassion. The world is full of suffering, and I believe my generation has power to seriously change that. When confronted with problems facing our society, those who have the ability to act have the responsibility to act. Our generation must be the one to accept this responsibility. However, we should take up our work not only based on ethical grounds, but on moral ones as well. We need to learn to genuinely care for fellow human beings, and make it our goal to better their position in life.

How do you plan to address it? It's difficult, really. It's not something tangible, that you can feel and shape and change. What I'm talking about is a revolution in the way we think about our world and about people. The only thing I can do is live my life according to these beliefs, and hope others see the merit in them through me.

What is your favorite high school memory? Being a part of the 2009 Missouri Scholars Academy, by far. It challenged the way I thought, allowed me to meet some awesome people, and gave me life experiences that I'll remember forever. Those three weeks at Mizzou were absolutely amazing, and profoundly life-changing.

What are your expectations for college? Wow, that's huge. There's so much to consider: being challenged academically, building a completely new network of friends, finding out more of who I am and what I'm not. I'm just trying to keep an open mind at this point.