NAWILIWILI — Noe Murray of Kaua‘i High School and Ember Teter of Waimea High School, who both finished the 2011-2012 school year as juniors, were recipients of Harvard Book awards Friday. The pair of students, unaware of what the book
NAWILIWILI — Noe Murray of Kaua‘i High School and Ember Teter of Waimea High School, who both finished the 2011-2012 school year as juniors, were recipients of Harvard Book awards Friday.
The pair of students, unaware of what the book actually meant, were presented the award by former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, a graduate of Harvard University, with the help of former Kaua‘i Mayor Maryanne Kusaka Friday at the Kaua‘i Marriott Resort and Beach Club.
The goal of the award is to introduce talented young people to the opportunities available at Harvard while recognizing their scholastic and personal achievements, states the Harvard University website.
The Harvard Book awards are presented annually in more than 1,900 high schools around the world to outstanding students in the “next-to-graduating class” who demonstrate excellence in scholarship and achievement in other nonacademic areas.
The Harvard Book may also be awarded to outstanding high school teachers who inspire curiosity and excellence in their students.
Teter, aside from her schoolwork, was an outstanding Menehune student-athlete in cross-country, soccer and track and field.
Murray, who earlier in the year contributed a photograph she took of a crab at Salt Pond Beach Park to The Garden Island, earned accolades for her science project, advancing from the Kaua‘i District Science Fair to the Hawai‘i State fair and eventually went on to the national fair.
Both students were accompanied by their families, Ember’s sister Reina, home from college for the summer, getting a belated congratulations from Hannemann for an art contest she won, but for which she was unable to attend the awards ceremony.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
