Posted on: Thursday, May 17, 2001

Two Hawai'i high school seniors named top scholars

Associated Press

Two Hawai'i students and one from the Marshall Islands were among the 141 high school seniors named 2001 Presidential Scholars yesterday.

Magali A.M. Fassiotto of Honolulu, a senior at Punahou School, and Naupaka B. Zimmerman of Volcano, a senior at Waiakea High School in Hilo, were among those chosen from a field of 2,600 candidates.

Mary E. Burt, a senior at Kwajalein Junior-Senior High School in the Marshall Islands, also was chosen by the 32-member commission appointed by the president.

The winners include students from the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, as well as members of American families living abroad.

"This year's scholars have taken advantage of the opportunities that high school has to offer, and serve as examples to us all of the opportunities that lie within education and within our schools," said U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige.

The scholars are recognized for their achievements in academics or the arts.

They were selected for academic achievement, leadership skills, character and commitment to high ideals.

The scholars will be honored at a ceremony in Washington during the last week of June.

Each scholar is allowed to invite his or her most influential teacher to the Washington ceremony. Fassiotto chose Hattie Phillips of Honolulu; Zimmerman chose Jamie Nekoba of Kurtistown; Burt chose Scarlett Scholte of the Marshall Islands.