Name: Noel M. Norcross
Age: 17
School: Senior, Seabury Hall
Favorite subject: English
Pastimes: Hula
Future: College professor
Norcross, 17, a senior at Seabury Hall, is a finalist in the National Merit Scholarship competition, placing her academically in the upper half of the top 1 percent of students in the United States. She recently was accepted to Harvard University on a scholarship.
English teacher Todd Van Amburgh described Norcross as having a brilliant aptitude, a perfectionist's discipline and an appetite for challenge. "She's one of the best students this school has ever seen because she goes beyond expectations," he said.
The daughter of John and Victoria Norcross has performed in school theatrical productions and is president of the senior class and co-president of Earth Club, an environmental community service student group. She dances with the Pukalani Hula Hale and is an alternate Sunday school teacher at the Pukalani Community Church of the Nazarene.
Norcross, who has a 4.08 grade point average, has completed advanced placement courses in biology, European history and American history. She's taking advanced placement courses in calculus and English.
Norcross, who was adopted from Korea when she was 4 months old, said her parents have always supported her and believed in her abilities.
"My parents have been very encouraging."