Kahuku student
wins history award
Seventeen-year-old Bethany Smith, from Kahuku High School, beat thousands of students across the country to take the top prize in an essay category of the History Channel awards.
CORRECTION
Saturday, June 19, 2004A Page A8 article in yesterday's early edition, and some afternoon editions, misspelled the first name of Phillip Smith as Philip.
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin strives to make its news report fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, call Editor Frank Bridgewater at 529-4791 or email him at corrections@starbulletin.com.
"We're very proud of her," said Philip Smith, her father. "She's a great writer and a great researcher."
Bethany Smith was awarded $5,000 for her winning research paper for the "Best Senior Entry on an International Theme" in the National History Day award ceremony yesterday at the University of Maryland. It beat 84 other finalists.
Smith wrote her essay on the Swedish Vikings after visiting her older sister, who is studying in Denmark. She titled her essay "The Swedish Vikings: Exploring Through Trade and Connecting Cultures."
Smith's sponsoring teacher, Linda Smith, who is no relation to Bethany, said all the credit goes to Bethany.
"This is a girl who did it on her own," she said, "and I can take very little credit."
Philip Smith said he had little to do with her winning, too. "I didn't help at all, except running around to get her books from the library."
Smith began researching the Swedish Vikings in October. One of the remarkable things about Bethany, her teacher said, was her thorough research. Smith kept in contact with a Smithsonian worker and a Harvard professor to double-check all her facts.
Smith graduated earlier this month from Kahuku and was one of the 15 valedictorians.
