Name: Glenn Villanueva
Age: 17
School: Baldwin High School
Favorite subject: Science
Pastimes: Beach outings with family
Future: Chef

Villanueva, 17, the son of Romeo and Juanita Valle of Wailuku, will graduate with his class at Maui High School this spring.

"I feel like I've gained a lot of confidence," said Villanueva, who looks forward to attending Maui Community College to study to become a chef.

School counselor Iris Nitta said teachers have been impressed with his tenacity.

"I use him as a model for students who think the world has crashed down around them," Nitta said.

The world seemed to crash on Villanueva in September 1992. Doctors found an inflammation in his optical nerve that was causing him to lose sight.

Physicians found he had a tumor in the back of his neck that caused paralysis in his right leg.

He received medication for his eyes, and doctors performed emergency surgery to remove the tumor on Sept. 10, 1992. He went through six months of physical therapy and had to learn to write again.

He sees through his left eye, although he's nearly blind in his right. He runs - but not very fast - and he has difficulty judging his strength in his right hand, which remains numb.

Villanueva has recovered academically. His grade point average, which fell below 2.0 after the surgery, is close to a 3.0 today.

"Everything is like a challenge to me," he said.