It's like being forced to pick your favorite UH volleyball player - or your least favorite politician. A truly agonizing decision.
Each of the five Sterling Scholar finalists is a doting parent's dream. They excel in classes, hold leadership roles in school and do volunteer work. Under their clothing, they must hide bright-red capes and blue tights with a big "S" emblazoned on the chest - "S" for Super Student.
The top prize in 1996 went to St. Louis senior David Matsumoto, who makes Bill Gates look like a lazy, late-blooming underachiever. The 16-year-old Kailua resident skipped the 11th grade because he was so akamai. David is ranked first in his class, was Hawaii's delegate to the U.S. Senate Youth Program, lettered in varsity tennis and, get this, just won first place in the nation for his science fair project.
If only we could buy stock in this kid. There aren't too many like him.
But for every David Matsumoto, there are thousands of scholars like Ryan Takeshita of Kaimuki High School. And because there are, these islands will be in good hands.
Ryan also won a scholarship this year, a cool $1,000 from two guys named Larry and Ralph Cimmarusti of Glendale, Calif. Who dat? Nobody special - they "just" own 104 Burger King Restaurants in the U.S., including 25 in Hawaii. The brothers are collectively the largest single franchisee in the Burger King system.
In school, though, they were rather ho-hum. So when they opened their newest fast-food establishment at Market City Shopping Center this month, they requested that a $1,000 scholarship be presented at neighboring Kaimuki High to an "average" youngster who has demonstrated persistence and determination. Someone who really had to toil toward success.
Somebody like Ryan. Here's what Jeanine Nakakura, his science teacher and cross-country coach, wrote about him, "Consistent and dependable describe Ryan's performance in my math class. He is not a naturally gifted mathematician. For many students, math comes easily. Ryan has had to work very hard to achieve what he has.
"I also know Ryan from cross-country, and was impressed with his determination to improve his running. He was not the best runner on our team, and did not qualify for the state meet. However, he came to practice every day - even when he was injured or not feeling well. Because of this, he won our most valuable player award . . .
"Ryan is a fine young man. He is polite, works well with others and gives 100 percent in all that he does - whether school work, sports or his part-time job. Your award would help him with college costs and his goal of becoming an engineer."
RYAN Takeshita plans to attend the University of Hawaii. David Matsumoto wants to go to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Want to bet that, after their collegiate careers are pau, each will make it in this big, cruel world?
It's because the sons and daughters of Hawaii were given different missions in life. A few like David are the ones at the pinnacle of the tree. But you wouldn't even have a pinnacle without a sturdy trunk of Ryans.