Super Students
Saturday, February 28, 1998
Name: Jennifer Proctor
Age: 8
School: St. Andrew's Priory
Favorite subject: Math
Future: Artist or singer
Ever since Jennifer Proctor took up karate two years ago, she wanted to be a superhero. A sharp student; lethal, too
"If any bad guy tries to hurt my mom and dad, I can fight them back," said Proctor, a third-grader at St. Andrew's Priory with a black belt in karate.
In November, Proctor won two gold medals in a recent national competition. She competed in the 1997 U.S. Karate-Do Federation Junior Olympics at the Blaisdell Arena and got medals in Team Kata and Individual Kumite, also known as sparring.
Proctor always gives 100 percent during practice and competitions, said instructor Jeffrey Lejan of the Japan International Karate Center.
She got into an accident with her bike last month, "but still trained hard and didn't complain," a good example of how dedicated she is to the sport, Lejan said.
Proctor plans to pursue karate until she earns six patches in black belt or reaches 10 years old, whichever comes first, "because I always wanted to try other things" like baseball or soccer.
Even in the classroom, "she's always eager to learn something new," said homeroom teacher Judy Ezra. "She really analyzes things, and she's a sharp student and a whiz on the computer."
Proctor is also conscious about her diet, Ezra said. To stay in shape, she eats healthy snacks, often sharing oranges, apples and pears with her friends.
"She's just one of our favorite kids," Ezra said.
Shirley Iida, Star-Bulletin
