THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, May 16, 1996 TAG: 9605140100
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 05 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JOAN C. STANUS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
Getting a free computer was a nice perk.
But other than that, Vaughn Bell would just as soon play down her perfect score on the verbal portion of the Scholastic Assessment Test.
``There's a certain degree of luck in these things,'' said Bell, a 17-year-old Granby High School senior. ``I just have a talent for taking the test. It's not necessarily an index of anything. My thoughts and ideas should count for a lot more than that. It really shouldn't set me apart.''
But it has. She is the first Norfolk public school student in two years to be named a National Merit Scholarship finalist. The SATs are one of the primary measures colleges and universities use in determining admission. Although many critics question its reliability, the test is intended as a measure of a student's future academic success. Scores are given in verbal and mathematical competency.
Obtaining a perfect score on any portion of the test is no easy feat. For doing it, the Sumitomo Machinery Corp. of America in Chesapeake gave Bell a lap-top computer.
``I think her score is reflective of her intelligence,'' said Dorothy Sazio, a Granby guidance counselor. ``She's such a bright, intelligent girl. Every teacher I talk to tells me she thinks on a higher plane than other students. She sees above and beyond.''
But Bell is hesitant to put herself in a separate class.
A self-motivator who would rather play soccer or draw than study, this tall, lanky Belvedere resident just considers herself ``a typical teenager'' who enjoys rock concerts and hanging out with friends.
``Other people were a lot more excited than me,'' she said. ``I was more excited about getting the computer. It will be real helpful for next year.''
With her staggering SAT scores and straight-A average, Bell had her choice of colleges. She turned down scholarships at the University of Virginia and the College of William and Mary to attend Brown University in Providence, R.I., in the fall. Going to a school somewhere far from home, surrounded by new experiences and new people, was partly what drew Bell to Brown.
``It will be a real challenge to be thrown into a whole new arena of ideas,'' she explained. ``I'm a little nervous but excited, too.''
She is undecided on a major. Now, she's vacillating between studying art, English or environmental sciences. For the last three years, she has studied art at the Governor's Magnet School for the Arts.
``Maybe I'll completely change my mind and study comparative religion,'' she said with a laugh. ``I don't have a clue. I plan on studying a lot of different areas before choosing.''
Seeing the world, experiencing new challenges and accomplishing ``something exciting'' - rather than settling on a ``giant career'' - are goals she has set for herself. Last year, she began her quest with a month-long stay in the Middle East as Norfolk's youth ambassador to Israel.
Does she have a secret to offer to other students who are jockeying for academic success?
``Keep a balance,'' she advised. ``Keep the social, sports and school life even. Don't let one outweigh the other. It's not to anyone's advantage to sit in a library and study all the time. You learn far more by experiencing and doing things. That's what I've done.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by RICHARD L. DUNSTON
``It's not to anyone's advantage to sit in a library and study all
the time,'' Vaughn Bell says.
by CNB