Honoring Hawai`i's Math Bowl Champions

"We believe you are the future for our state, for our country and for our world," Governor Lingle told the students. "It is students with the kind of skills like those you are developing that are going to be able to solve the real, big, serious issues that we face - issues of climate change, issues of energy independence and issues like Alzheimer’s disease."

The Governor also explained that the skills needed to compete in the Math Bowl are the same they will need to face challenges and solve problems in the years ahead.

"It's not going to be people who have the best 3-point shot who are going to solve any of those problems, or the person who wins 'American Idol.' Those are all interesting and fun things.

"I'm a big sports fan," the Governor continued. "Not to knock them, but these will not be the people who solve the major issues facing our world. It will be students such as yourselves who are able to bear down and solve difficult problems through your hard work."

The Hawai`i State Math Bowl promotes the teaching and learning of mathematics and gives math students the opportunity to compete with one another in solving challenging problems.  Engaging students in science, technology, engineering and math education is a key component of the Lingle-Aiona Administration’s Hawai`i Innovation Initiative because it fosters the development of problem-solving and critical thinking skills that will better prepare students to enter the workforce.

This year's honorees included:

Division A (small schools): Hawai`i Baptist Academy
Division AA (large schools): McKinley High School
Hawai`i State Individual Champion (grades 6-8 and 9-10): Zhengyuan Ma, Punahou School
Hawai`i State Individual Champion (grades 9-10): Dustin Shigaki, `Iolani School
Hawai`i State Individual Champion (grades 11-12): William Chambers, `Iolani School