Rhodes Scholar praises
Mililani teacher

Cullen Taniguchi gives credit to
Ruth Fukuchi, his chemistry instructor

From Star-Bulletin staff and wire reports

A chemistry class at Mililani High school cheered this morning when they heard a former student was named a Rhodes Scholar over the weekend.

And when Cullen M. Taniguchi heard he'd won the prestigious scholarship, he knew just who to call with the news. Taniguchi, now a senior at Occidental College in Los Angeles, tried reaching his former chemistry teacher at the high school.

Taniguchi credited Ruth Fukuchi for influencing him to become a research chemist.

"She's just a fantastic teacher," said Taniguchi, who is working on synthesizing medicinal drugs.

Fukuchi, who was interrupted during her advanced placement chemistry class today with the news, said she was honored that he had remembered her.

"I told the whole class, 'Anyone of you could do that,'" she said.

"He probably left me a message on my e-mail -- I haven't checked yet."

When he was nominated at the state level, she had e-mailed him with a message saying, "Just remember, if you get the Rhodes Scholar, its not anybody else who did it for you, it's you."

Taniguchi was an extremely well-rounded student with a curiosity about everything, she said.

"It makes us thrilled in the public schools when a student does something that you would expect from someone from a high-pressure private school and that students that leave our school can compete with anybody anywhere."

Taniguchi was one of 32 Americans named Rhodes Scholars.

The scholarships were established in 1904 by the estate of Cecil Rhodes, a British philanthropist and colonialist.

Winners will receive scholarships to attend Oxford University in England next fall.