Super Students
Saturday, December 6, 1997
Name: Cherise Ho
Age: 17
School: Hanalani Schools, Mililani
Activities: National Merit Scholar Semi-Finalist
Interests: Math, science, drama
Carmela Minaya, head of the high school science department at Hanalani Schools in Mililani, can't find enough superlatives in praise of senior Cherise Ho. Ho makes Hanalani proud
"She is our school's first ever Merit Scholar," Minaya said. "She is the president of Hanalani's Honor Society and spearheaded a schoolwide canned drive that collected enough cans to donate to Helping Hands Hawaii and to make over 100 food baskets for needy."
Ho is a top-notch member of the math team, and has been a school team member in the Annual Hawaii Science Bowl, Minaya added.
On top of that, Ho is on the drama team, won first place in the school's science fair, represented the school in advanced-science competition and heads a pool that tutors intermediate-level students, Minaya said.
Ho has some clear aims in life.
"I seek to be a leader to my fellow classmates," she said. "Everything I do, I do it to please God, because I am a Christian." She regularly attends Kalihi Union Church.
Ho has her sights on teaching -- math, and probably trigonometry, she said. How did she develop an interest in math?
"I have a really cool math teacher," she said, naming teacher Chenfu Chiang. Besides her interest in higher math, she also likes accounting, and plans to attend the University of Hawaii where she may try to get a double-major in the subjects.
Harold Morse, Star-Bulletin
