Taking Notice

Scholastic Honors

Hawaii students captured 20 percent of the national awards in the 1999 ThinkQuest Junior Program in which teams create educational Web sites on the Internet.

First-place awards in the interdisciplinary category went to Jenna Akasaki and Mallorie Hepa, King Kaumaualii Elementary; Aric Banuilos, Aiea; Sean Galera and Cherie Yamashiroya, Moanalua; Mari Maeda, Waimalu; and teacher-coaches Lynne Sueoka and Jeff Chan, Aiea.

Another team from Kapolei Elementary won in this category: Kalalau Cantrell, Kawika Banes, Chaleesa Adrazado, Trisha Liu, Beverly Lapuz and Raymond Enriques.

In the science and math category, first-place winners were Amber Arrington and Marcus Arrington, Aiea; Kiah Imai, Noah Imai and Brandon Nakamoto, King Kaumualii; and teacher-coaches JoAnn Fu, Moanalua Middle, and Sandra Kaneshiro, Aiea.

Second-place winners, all from Enchanted Lake Elementary, included Kara Gustafson, Ryan Kido, Aaron Omura, Mika Sawada, Kristina Taylor, Nani Yong, and teacher-coaches Lena Kanemori and Harry Kubo.

Third-place winners in the social science category were Carrie Esaki and Julie Yoshida, Kapaa Middle; Jeff Fines and Christopher Tuala, Aiea; Wesley Okazaki, Moanalua; Logan Rowe, King Kaumualii; and teacher-coaches Leah Aiwohi, King Kaumualii, and Keith Amano, Kapaa Middle.

In the sports and health category, third-place winners from Lehua Elementary were Alana Yuen, Caroline Fitzgerald, and teacher-coaches Donna Kawasaki and Kevin Matsunaga.

Faith Suzuka, a Mililani resident studying history at Macalester College in St. Paul, has received a $6,000 National Museum fellowship from the Minnesota Historical Society.

Karen Blust, a Colorado State University freshman from Honolulu, has received the Julia Klug Scholarship. The Kaiser High School graduate is majoring in recreation and tourism.

Starlyn Okada, a Castle High School student from Kaneohe, received a scholarship in the fourth annual Japan-America Friendship Scholars Program, administered by Youth for Understanding International Exchange. She lived with a volunteer host famly in Japan this past summer.

Tanner T. Fahl of Iolani and Jill N. Yoshizawa of Baldwin High School in Wailuku have been named 1999 Presidential Scholars. They were among 141 winners from the United States who were honored at a reception in Washington, D.C., this summer. The students named teachers Michael Park, a mathematics instructor at Iolani, and Janice W.F. Yoshizawa of Wailuku Elementary School as the most influential in their accomplishments.