The student: Angela Croteau, 17

School: Mount de Sales Academy

Special achievement: Angela, who lives in Ellicott City, recently participated in the National Young Leaders Conference in Washington. She was one of 400 students nationwide selected for the six-day conference.

What she did there: "We did three simulations throughout the week," she said.

In one, the participants created a mock Supreme Court. In another, they created a presidency, and in the third, they created a Congress.

"I actually got chosen to be Speaker of the House," Angela said. Party affiliations were assigned, and Angela was a Republican.

Career goals: She wants to major in biophysics in college and become a doctor.

She has sent her college applications and is waiting to find out where she has been accepted.

Other interests: Angela is a catcher on the varsity softball team and runs varsity indoor track. She has played the flute since the fourth grade.