Open During Construction New Merchandise Arriving Daily Success Story STONE'S 6881 Orchard Lake Rd. on the Boardwalk R ashad Prendergast, 18, is not your typical teenager. He is nicely dressed in business attire, tie included, with a well- trimmed moustache and goatee. No tattoos or piercings are evident. But most noticeable is the way he pres- ents himself — speaking cordially as if he really is interested in talking to an unknown adult. When asked about himself, Prendergast is comfortable talking about his achievements but doesn’t brag. He was already a strong student and probably had good people skills when he saw an application for the Midnight Golf program during his junior year at Detroit’s Cass Technical High School. “I was curious about it so I looked it up and applied. It’s very popular at Cass,” Prendergast says. He was accepted into the program, which “helped me improve myself. We learn so much more — how to man- age your money, the college transition, etiquette. You learn that you can do it but you have to give it your best,” he explains. “I was clueless about golf but it’s a skill that I’ll always appreciate,” he adds. After winning a prize at the Science and Engineering Fair of Metro Detroit, he was eligible for the 2017 International Science and Engineering Fair. He placed fourth out of a field of 91 in the Earth and Environmental Science category with a project about the impact of road salt on atmospheric concentrations, a topic that interested him because of the preponderance of salt in this area. That qualified him to compete for a summer internship at the prestigious JEWELRY (248) 851-5030 stonesfi nejewelry@gmail.com ABOVE: Rashad Prendergast at his intern- ship at the Weizmann Science Institute in Israel. TOP: Jamie Jacob and Rashad Prendergast. Weizmann Science Institute in Israel. Prendergast was accepted as one of 80 interns from across the globe for the one-month Weizmann program that included three weeks of research experience. “My research project involved the study of the role of autoimmune regu- lators in the DNA damage response. Through observing my mentor and collaborating with my lab partners, I have also learned about the nature of scientific research and curiosity,” he said in his post-report. The students then spent a week traveling around Israel, visiting the Negev, Masada, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Haifa. “I learned so much about the Israeli history and culture. My favorite part of the program was by far the six-day desert excursion where we spent one night under the stars and woke up at 4:30 a.m. every day for a new exciting hike,” Prendergast says. He is now a freshman at the University of Michigan with plans to study engineering. • NEW Support Group Men’s Issues With Prostate Cancer Natan HarPaz Ph.D., ACSW, FAGPA Group Leader 2nd Wednesday of the Month October 11, November 8, December 13 SPSP‡&RVWSHUVHVVLRQ New Center Psychotherapy & Assoc. 29600 Northwestern Hwy., Suite 103 6RXWKÀHOG0, (248) 355-2112 Support Group Topics t 3FBDUJPOUP%JBHOPTJT t .BTDVMJOJUZManhood t 4FYVBM1FSGPSNBODF 'VODUJPO t Incontinence t &NCBSSBTTNFOU QHZFWUSV\FK#JPDLOFRP Seating is limited. Please call or email to reserve your seat today. jn September 28 • 2017 27