Super Students
Saturday, June 20, 1998
Name: Casey Mathison
Age: 17
School: Maui High School
Favorite subject: Mathematics
Pastimes: Swimming
Future: Biochemist
Casey Mathison's work as a student and community volunteer already has taken him to the Marshall Islands and Washington, D.C. This leader's a winner
Mathison, son of Craig and Diane Mathison of Haiku, will be attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this fall on a full four-year scholarship worth more than $115,000.
"He deserves all the accolades and recognition," said Earle Hotta, a counselor at Maui High School.
Mathison has been a leader, serving as president of the National Honor Society, class valedictorian, yearbook editor and captain of the school's academic decathlon team.
Most recently, he was the only student from Hawaii and one of 100 students nationwide selected for a $10,000 Toyota community scholarship. He was flown to Lexington, Ky., to receive the award.
He also has been a winner in several of the state's History Day contests, going to Washington to compete in national finals. In his sophomore year, he received a $5,000 scholarship for a project on the end of apartheid in South Africa.
About two years ago, he and a group of Maui youths of the Baha'i faith went to the Marshall Islands to perform plays on ways to curb domestic violence and discourage substance abuse.
He said his parents and teachers played a major role in his academic development. "They were always there for me after school and on weekends. The constant support is what helped me."
By Gary Kubota, Star-Bulletin
