The National Merit Scholarship Corp. recently announced this year’s College-Sponsored National Merit awards. Seven Hawaii students are among the recipients.
Selection was based on academic record, including difficulty of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from two standardized tests; contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay; and recommendation from a high school official.
Hawaii recipients include ‘Iolani School’s Shane J. Hayakawa (probable career field: business), National Merit University of Southern California Scholarship; and six Punahou School
students: Taylor T. Lau (probable career field: mathematics), National Merit Washington University in St. Louis Scholarship; Madelin N. Lum (probable career field: undecided), National Merit University of Southern California Scholarship; Alyssa M.E. Morvis (probable career field: screenwriting/directing), National Merit Northwestern University Scholarship; Bryce D. Murley (probable career field: engineering), National Merit Harvey Mudd College Scholarship; Aidan J. Morita (probable career field: economics), National Merit Arizona State University Scholarship; and Jade Ying Lin Woo (probable career field: law), National Merit Tufts University Scholarship.
Additional recipients of college-sponsored awards will be announced July 14. By the conclusion of this year’s competition, about 8,000 academic champions will have won National Merit Scholarships worth over $35 million.
About 1.5 million students in some 22,000 high schools entered the 2014 National Merit Scholarship competition when they took the 2012 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which served as a first screening of program entrants. Last fall about 16,000 semifinalists were named on a state representational basis in numbers proportional to each state’s percentage of the national total of graduating high school seniors.
Semifinalists were the highest-scoring program entrants in each state and represented less than 1 percent of the nation’s seniors.
To compete for Merit Scholarship awards, semifinalists first had to advance to the finalist level of the competition by fulfilling additional requirements. Each semifinalist was asked to submit a detailed scholarship application, which included writing an essay and providing information about extracurricular activities, awards and leadership positions.
A Nuuanu Elementary School fifth-grader took third place in the national Bring Our Missing Children Home poster contest.
Celina Shoda’s poster was selected from 50 entries from throughout the state to represent Hawaii.
The U.S. Department of Justice annually sponsors the national contest to help raise awareness about missing children and child safety. The poster contest is held in conjunction with National Missing Children’s Day, which is recognized each year on May 25.
In Hawaii more than 3,000 children go missing or run away each year, according to the state attorney general’s office. Many return home safely, but others have yet to be found.
Winners of the 2014 Conservation Through Art Contest have been selected by judges from the Monk Seal Foundation and the Wyland Foundation. Nearly 200 entries were received from students in grades K-12 across the state and elsewhere. Students created an artistic piece with the theme of "The Hawaiian monk seal, a living treasure" using a variety of art forms such as paintings, drawings, sculptures and collages.
Winners were Audrey Johnson of Wahiawa, kindergarten; Lieanna Santos of Kahului, first grade; Chloe Zentkovich of Waipahu, second grade (who also won Best of Show); Paisley Kaahanui of Honolulu, third grade; Kimberly Hernandez of Conyers, Ga., fourth grade; Jaca Buddenbaum of
Conyers, Ga., fifth grade; Aidyn Huh of Kapolei, sixth grade; Leya Leliaert of Kapolei, seventh grade; Krisheree Shimamoto of Kapolei, eighth grade; Quinlan Bishop of Hilo, ninth grade; Reid Shinogi of Mililani, 10th grade; Uilani Young of Hilo, 11th grade; and Allysa Pirtle of Laie, 12th grade.