THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 21, 1996 TAG: 9603200175
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SHIRLEY BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
DAVID ARTHUR'S exceptional talent in math and science has opened doors of opportunity for him.
In the past, he has won trips to Anaheim, Calif., as a finalist in math competition and to a conference in Washington, D.C. He also has participated in summer programs for gifted young scholars at the College of William and Mary and Old Dominion University.
Now a senior at Lakeland High School, David has been named a finalist in the 1996 National Merit Scholarship program. He is the only student in Suffolk's public or private schools to earn semifinalist and finalist honors. This achievement is based on scores he earned as a junior.
As a semifinalist, David, 18, ranked among the top 250 students in Virginia and the top 15,000 students nationwide. Through the National Merit Scholarship program, merit finalists are offered scholarships from private sources, corporations and colleges.
``I want to study engineering . . . in the bio-medical or electrical field,'' David said. ``I really would like to do something in the health field. Medical engineers are involved in theoretical work. They design X-ray machines, pacemakers and prostheses and get someone else to build them. It's a field that's getting more popular, but not all colleges offer it.''
David, who has applied to seven colleges, says his first choices are Duke University and Stanford, which offer courses in the bio-medical field.
``My parents would like me to stay close to home,'' he said, ``but I wouldn't mind seeing the country. I'd do OK . . . I've been to several summer camps.''
David's ability in math and science appears to be his legacy. His paternal grandmother, Mary Jane Arthur, was a math teacher at the former Forest Glen High School for several years, and his dad, Henry Arthur, is employed by Hassell & Folkes, a surveying and engineering company.
``Math and science have been my favorite subjects ever since elementary school,'' David said. ``I have to work a little harder in the other subjects. But I was the most nervous when I had to take the PSAT for the National Merit Scholarship Competition.''
Modest and soft-spoken, David is a straight A student, who has a 4.57 grade-point average.
When he took a test in the Future Business Leaders of America business math contest in the 10th grade, David was one of the two top scorers who advanced to state competition.
After he captured the state title, David and his mom, Linda Arthur, traveled to the National FBLA Business Math Competition in Anaheim. For five days, they toured Los Angeles, went to Disney Land and visited several beaches.
The following year, he placed third in the state FBLA business calculations competition.
Last summer, David attended the Governor's School for the Gifted to study math and computers at the College of William and Mary. There were lectures and computer labs, but also free time for fun activities, such as sports and movies.
``We worked at an accelerated pace and learned about programming computers,'' David said. ``It gave me an in-depth look at the sciences and encouraged me to study engineering.''
Other opportunities have included attending the 1994 National Young Leaders Conference in Washington, serving on the Academic Challenge Team for three years, and as captain of the team last fall. In 1993, he participated in the Old Dominion University Young Scholars Summer Program for Science and Engineering, and served as treasurer of both the Beta Club and the junior class.
In spite of his academic demands, David has played second base on the Lakeland baseball team for the past four years and has a part-time job at Mr. Video, where he works nights and on weekends.
A resident of the Whaleyville area, David is active in the Somerton United Methodist Church as an acolyte, president of the youth group and a Vacation Bible School worker. In the past, he has tutored a neighbor and his younger brother, Keith, who is a sophomore at Lakeland.
David's hobbies are snow skiing, going to the beach, and racing remote control cars and trucks with his brother and friends. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
David Arthur, a senior at Lakeland High, is a finalist in the 1996
National Merit Scholarship program.
by CNB