Education briefs

Advertiser Staff and News Services

Maui mechanics fourth in nation

Two students from Maui High School placed fourth Monday at the national AAA/Ford Student Auto Skills contest in Washington.

Karl Espinda helped Maui High to its fourth-place finish.

Robert Bonnes prepared for hours with Espinda.

"I'm very proud of them. It was a very tough competition this year," said their adviser, auto-shop teacher Dennis Ishii.

The AAA/Ford Student Auto Skills contest combines a written test with a trouble-shooting event in which teams are judged for speed and accuracy in finding and repairing defects deliberately placed in a car.

The team from Maui High School won the national title last year. Maui High has captured nine state titles in the past 10 years, missing only in 1994, and it won the national title in 1995 as well.

Espinda and Bonnes spent many hours under the hood of a Ford Focus to prepare for the national event, which opened Sunday with the written test and concluded Monday with a hands-on challenge.

A team from Nevada captured first place.

A recognition dinner was held for all Hawai'i state finalists and their families before the national competition.

La Pietra girl to go to Navy summit

Erin Hicks, a student at La Pietra Hawai'i School for Girls, will represent Pacific Region teenagers from Hawai'i, Guam, Japan and South Korea at the Navy Teen Summit July 10-14 in Alexandria, Va.

Navy leaders and teen representatives will meet at the summit to develop leadership skills and identify problems associated with being a Navy youth and how to implement programs to address these issues.

Insurance company donates computers

The state Department of Education's Magnet E-Academy program will receive more than 100 computers from First Insurance Company of Hawai'i. A portion of the donation, which includes IBM-compatible Pentium chip-powered computers and monitors, will also go to Mid-Pacific Institute's technology program, a joint initiative with Kalani High School.

The E-Academy program educates students on aspects of new technology such as network management, computer operating systems and the fusion of computer technology into everyday education. The program is established at 23 public schools in Hawai'i from elementary through high school levels.

BYUH names dean of admissions

Brigham Young University-Hawai'i has named Jeffrey N. Bunker dean of admissions and records, replacing Bruce Bowen.

Bunker, a sociology and educational leadership graduate of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, previously served as executive director of enrollment services and registrar at University of Northern Colorado.

Bowen will leave BYUH to work as associate provost of enrollment services at Weaver State University in Ogden, Utah. He was dean of admissions and records at BYUH for three years.

Big Island students picked for seminar

Big Island high school sophomores Criste Garcia and Blake Kurisu have been selected to participate in the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership World Leadership Congress July 13-21 at George Washington University in Washington

More than 300 high school sophomores will participate in the seminar to discuss moral and ethical issues facing leaders and to learn more about the democratic process in America.

Garcia, of Kealakehe High School in Kona, and Kurisu, of Waiakea High School in Hilo, were selected from among 59 sophomores who attended the Hawai'i Hugh O'Brian seminar in May.