These kids know their minds — and abc's
| • | 14 on beeline to state finals |
Advertiser Staff
Ever wonder what kind of kids become super-spellers? What motivates some boy or girl who always knows if i comes before e, those brainy types who don't have to pull out the dictionary every time they write a school paper? Well, read on, gentle readers, here are Hawai'i's spellmeisters.
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• Karynna Asao: An eighth-grader at Hanalani Schools, Karynna enjoys volleyball, swimming, chess and playing the piano and violin.
The 14-year-old Mililani girl says her favorite food is strawberry ice cream. At school, her favorite subjects are history and math, especially geometry. She would like to be a neurosurgeon. |
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• Teague Blair: A seventh-grader at Kaua'i Christian Academy, Teague says he wants to win the Pipeline Masters Surfing Championship and travel around the world.
Teague is from tropical Hanalei, but he has a love of snowboarding. He also enjoys skateboarding, paintball and eating sushi. If the 12-year-old makes it to the nationals in Washington, D.C., he would like to meet the president. Or Michael Jordan. |
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• Wesley Griswold: An eighth-grader at Le Jardin Academy, Wesley likes basketball, woodworking and drama. He enjoys playing the guitar. And don't forget science and math, his best courses.
All this may explain the 13-year-old Kailua boy's goal in life: He wants to be a rock 'n' roll star and an engineer. |
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• Zoe Harran: A seventh-grader at Kalama Intermediate, Zoe says chocolate is her favorite food, Madeline L'Engle her favorite author, and band, English and social studies her favorite subjects in school.
The person she wants to meet most is U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg because she sounds cool. Zoe, 12, lives in Kula. |
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• Sarah Iida: An eighth-grader at Highlands Intermediate School, Sarah likes to play baseball, swim and read.
The goals of this 13-year-old Waipahu girl are varied. She would like to be a doctor, a singer or a newscaster. If she represents Hawai'i at the finals, she hopes to meet the president or U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye. |
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• Stephanie Kawamura: Although only a seventh-grader at Kapa'a Middle School on Kaua'i, Stephanie says she wants to attend college and continue to get straight A's.
The Kilauea girl's hobbies include reading and collecting miniature ceramic bells. Not surprisingly, 12-year-old Stephanie's best subjects are spelling and English. And while Stephanie says she would like to meet the president and his family, she would be just as happy to meet the president's pets. |
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• Chase Merritt: An eighth-grader at Messiah Lutheran School, Chase knows what he wants. His goal here: To win the spelling bee.
The Wai'anae 14-year-old says his favorite book is "The Hobbit," and he likes to play guitar. |
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• Jessica Palola: An eighth-grader at Hanalani School in Mililani, 13-year-old Jessica has a wide range of interests, including reading, going online on her computer and cheerleading.
Her favorite subjects are math and English, her favorite food is pizza and she wants to meet the president. Her goal in life: Finish college and get a good job. |
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• Golan Remmen: An eighth-grader at Na'alehu School on the Big Island, Golan likes writing, exploring caves, reading and soccer.
Golan, 13, says his favorite book is "Red Wall" and his favorite food is pizza. At his home in Na'alehu, he has a teenager's typical pets — a dog and a cat — but he also has a lot of goats. His life goal is to get a job that helps the world. |
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• Nathaniel Salazar: A seventh-grader at Maui Waena Intermediate, Nathaniel likes to play basketball, tennis and computer games.
Nathaniel, 12, lives in Kahului. His favorite subjects are math and English. |
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• Alexander Tomchak: An eighth-grader at Le Jardin Academy, Alexander is interested in history, likes surfing and says his best subject is geography.
The 13-year-old from Kane'ohe wants to be a historian or a poet. |
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• Kathryn Yadao: An eighth-grader at St. Francis School, Kathryn says her goals in life are to try her best and aim for the top.
The 13-year-old Honolulu girl says her best subjects are English and American sign language. Her hobbies include basketball, reading and music. If she gets a trip to Washington, D.C., for the bee finals, she wants to see the White House. |
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• Ty Yamamoto: An eighth-grader at Hawai'i Baptist Academy, Ty wants to write a novel, or become a teacher.
Ty, a 13-year-old from 'Aiea, says his hobbies include playing the drums and calligraphy, and he also enjoys volleyball, golf and judo. |
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• Tyler Yoshiyama: An eighth-grader at Hilo Intermediate School, Tyler likes reading, video games, math and pizza. The 14-year-old from Hilo wants to visit the Smithsonian if he wins a trip to Washington, D.C.
His goal in life is simple: Be rich. |
