Super Students
Saturday, February 27, 1999
Name: Sara Matsuura
Age: 16
School: Sacred Hearts Academy
Favorite subject: Honors Asian history
Pastimes: Clubs, poetry
Future: Marketing and management
When daily pressures overwhelm and there's no other outlet in sight, Sara Matsuura dives for her lifeline: a pen. Willing spirit, expressive soul
A talented writer and artist, the Sacred Hearts sophomore refuses to let daily stress keep her down. Instead, she translates the pressures from an incoherent jumble to expressive poetry.
"I'm not the type of person to cry when I'm stressed," she said. "I feel that if I sit down and write poetry, it helps to channel my feelings better."
Channeling through poetry and art has been productive since childhood, when she won her first awards for both. Numerous awards, scholarships and recognition followed, and she became proficient in speech and debate competitions as well. She recently was notified that one of her stories may be printed in an upcoming edition of "Chicken Soup for the Soul."
Tied closely to community service through her involvement with 13 clubs, Matsuura said she just wants to set a good example for her sister.
As sophomore class vice president, Bahrain's Security Council representative for the school's United Nations model and Junior Soroptomist Club vice president, the 4.0 GPA student is doing just that.
Sophomore class advisor Karen Muramoto described Matsuura as a motivated leader of impeccable character, a "willing spirit" with a burning desire to help others. "I think she's doing a very good job," Muramoto said.
By Kimberly K. Fu, Star-Bulletin
