Name: Lea Parveen Acierto Arce
Age: 18
School: Pearl City High School
Favorite subject: Math
Hobbies: Running
Future: Pediatrician

Three years later, Arce has won a trip to this year's Olympics and has been awarded scholarships totaling more than $4,800.

"I just didn't want to be known as a geek or a nerd," Arce said. "I wanted them (classmates) to know that I was athletic (too)."

With a 3.896 cumulative grade point average, Arce has been on the principal's list numerous times. She was voted homecoming queen and class president.

"She's a tremendous girl," said Gerald Suyama, Pearl City High School principal. "Teachers really like her as well as the administrators."

Arce, captain of the cross-country and track teams, tied her school's record for the 100-meter and 300-meter hurdles.

The oldest child of Letty and Jesse Arce plans to attend the University of Hawaii-Manoa in the fall. She works part time at Discovery Zone in Waikele and plans to volunteer at Kaiser Permanente in Moanalua during the summer.

Her volunteer work there last year helped her decide to pursue a career as a pediatrician.

She would visit hospitalized children, making sure they weren't lonely.

"I thought, 'Wow, this job is really good.' Maybe a career for me would be good, too."