At age 16 most adolescents are bugging their parents to drive the family car and despising high school.

Not Reynoldsburg, Ohio, native Cindy Hsieh. She is a freshman at Case Western Reserve University majoring in one of the school's toughest curricula—biomedical engineering/premed.

In just her first year, Hsieh also has become the Spartan's No. 2 singles player (record: 6-8) and a member of the No. 1 doubles team (7-7). Coincidentally, the team had their best regular season in over five years with a 7-4 record.

"I've certainly had them come in at 17, but I have never had a 16-year-old and certainly not with her major," said CWRU tennis Head Coach Nancy Rahn, currently in her 12th season. "Given about how competitive it is to get in here, than to be an outstanding player, it's amazing.

"She's got nice looking strokes and a real natural feel for the game," Rahn continued. "She is more mature than what you may consider an average 16-year-old. Part of that might be being in the college environment and maybe being the head of her class in high school."

Hsieh, whose birthday is in July, has worked hard in the classroom since she was 5 years old. She skipped the first grade and then in eighth grade she took advanced classes, allowing her to jump to sophomore status entering Reynoldsburg High School.

"Everything happened so quickly," said Hsieh. "I was 15 when I graduated from high school and was valedictorian, that was pretty unusual. I got my driver's license the day before I got to CWRU."

Hsieh (3.5 GPA) will be 19 when she gets her undergraduate degree, and if she continues straight on to medical school, she could be a doctor at the age of 25. So does youth have its advantages? "I don't know," said Hsieh. "I could also think of it as just more time to work."

Hsieh is unsure if she will immediately continue her education or work for a few years after graduating from CWRU. She also is uncertain of what career field she will pursue, but said prosthetic limbs and medical equipment are a couple of things that interest her. You know, the normal stuff 20-year-olds dabble in.

"I really don't have anything that doesn't interest me," said Hsieh. "So I really don't know what I want to go into at this time. I have a few years to figure it out."

Time is definitely on her side, but she said her age does create obstacles. Because she is still a minor, Hsieh needs a legal guardian to sign for her—things like a release form to play tennis or a rental form for a snowboard to use on area slopes.

"That's one thing I get a little bothered with," said Hsieh. "I don't think I can even get a library card, I can't get any sort of a card because I have to be 18."

Forget the card, Hsieh probably breaks citywide curfew anytime she walks home from the University's Kelvin Smith Library after 11 p.m.