Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 4, Number 7, 1 July 1987 — Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa Honors for '83 Kamehameha Graduate [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa Honors for '83 Kamehameha Graduate

A 1983 Kamehameha Schools graduate who was valedictorian of her class graduated magna eum laude and accepted into Phi Beta Kappa, national honor society, in exercises held May 17 at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif. Noelani Jayne Choi Wun Loo of Kailua was also presented the Ted Gleason Award, accompanied by $500 in cash, whieh was established by the family of Edward Rowse Gleason, '70. It is annually given to a man or woman student who has made a warm-hearted contribution to the community life of Pomona College through such traits of character as sympathy, friendliness, good cheer, generosity and particularly, perseveranee and courage. It is interesting to note that of the 1 1 magna eum laude graduates, there were two from Hawaii. In addition to Noelani, the other magna eum laude graduate was Ann Mari Obatake of Honolulu. Both received their degrees in Government/Public Policy.

Noelani is the eldest of three children of Solomon and Virginia Loo. Maile, a 1984 Kamehameha graduate, is a junior at Stanford University, while son Dirk just graduated with the Kamehameha Class of 1987 and also plans to attend college on the mainland following the school's summer Concert Glee tour of Europe.

Noelani, who also sang solo at the Pomona graduation, eame home for a brief visit and returned to San Francisco May 27 where she began work June 1 with a Bay Area law firm. She plans to stay out of school at least a year before trying for a law degree at possibly the University of California, Berkeley. Noelani was on the President's honor roll all four years at Pomona. She said she was inspired considerably during her junior year at Kamehameha when she was presented with the Harvard Prize Book by Wendy

! Roylo Hee, herself a 1973 Kamehameha graduate who went on to Harvard University. Mrs. Hee is currently planning and development officer for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. The book is awarded annually to an outstanding junior. Solomon Loo is a self-employed consultant while his wife teaches during the regular school year at Bingham Tract School and summer sessions at Kamehameha. Coincidentally, Pomona College is also observing its centennial year, having been established in 1887 when the Kamehameha Schools were founded. This is also Ho'olako 1987: the Year of the Hawaiian when al! Hawaiians and all of Hawaii are enriched by the culture, teachings, traditions and customs established by these indigenous peoples.

Noelani Jayne Cho Wun Loo, one of two Hawaii magna eum laude graduates of Pomona College, Claremont, Calif., beams happily on graduation day.

Pictured at Phi Beta Kappa honor society induction ceremony is Noelani Jayne Cho Wun Looof Kailua with Pomona Government Department Chairman Lee C. McDonald who is also chairman of the society's loeal chapter.