Patch Whiz Kid: Eric Corriveau

Name: Eric Corriveau.
Grade: 12th.
Age: 18.
School: .
Accomplishments: Corriveau is a co-founder and co-president of the Diversity Club with Linday Zissis and is the lead designer of the FIRST robotics team.
Success Factors: Alongside Zissis, Corriveau founded the Diversity Club with the help of World Language teacher Antoinette Delfino and has helped bring awareness to diversity in Southington by leading efforts to host the school's Celebration of Cultures earlier this year, Delfino said.

It was the second annual event and drew hundreds of participants with tables set up representing 22 different cultures.

"The program has really helped bring awareness to the many cultures that exist at Southington High School," Delfino said during a presentation to the Board of Education last week.

"Not only does the program bring awareness to the community regarding the diversity here in Southington, but it has allowed students here to be able to express their culture in ways they may otherwise have been unable to," Corriveau said.

But Corriveau also showcases a number of other talents. Southington High School Principal Martin Semmel said he is actively involved in a number of programs and is one of the class leaders in grade point average.

As a member of the robotics team and Project Lead the Way at Southington High School, Corriveau has helped the robotics team gain recognition with a 1st place showing at their competition at Worcester Polytechnicnic Institute earlier this month and the team will compete again in Hartford this weekend.

He is also a member of the school's National Honor Society, is a three-year track athlete and also works weekends at Josie's Corner on Mill Street in Berlin.

Corriveau has already been accepted to the Rochester Institute of Technology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the University of Connecticut. He is also a finalist to receive acceptance into Harvard University and is awaiting a response from the university over the next couple weeks.