WHS student Yamamoto named Washington Scholar

Grad will study chemical engineering at UW

He doesn't go on and on about it, but you can tell he's pleased.

Not surprised, maybe, but pleased.

See, Warden High School senior Marc Yamamoto says he's been working towards being named a 13th Legislative District Washington Scholar throughout his high school career.

"It's been a goal, because my sister (Miki) received it too, when she came to high school about nine years ago," Yamamoto said. "So I've tried to do my best."

Yamamoto has been trying to do his best at a lot of different things.

He's the editor of the school yearbook, captain of his varsity golf team and a member of Key Club, FBLA, National Honor Society and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. He's also participated in Boy's State, Business Week and was a Senate page. He works at Sage Hills Golf Course and Moses Pointe Golf Resort, as well as working for his father, Jim, on the family farm. All while maintaining a 4.0 grade point average.

"(I) do my best in everything I do, and try not to over-extend myself," Yamamoto said. "Do what I can do."

In his spare time, Yamamoto said he likes to golf and hang out.

"We're very proud," said Marc's mother, Yoshimi Yamamoto. "It's a very prestigious award and we're honored to have him considered a Washington scholar."

She said that the family is very aware of the magnitude of the award, which is usually the equivalent of four years of tuition, and the honor of being one of the three students selected from the 13th district.

"They think it's great," Marc said of his parents' reaction. "They didn't have a doubt if I'd receive it or not. They knew I'd receive it if I did good in school, and I did, so …"

Nor has there been competition between Marc and Miki.

"Her and my brother have been great to me," he said. "They're older than me, so I'm basically like an only child, but they've always had a great influence on me, because I've always had something to achieve. And I've never been in competition, but it's been kind of a milestone just to try to make myself as good as them."

Marc said his favorite classes in high school were journalism and chemistry.

"Chemistry, I got to do what I like to do, work with equations and different chemicals," he said. "Journalism was fun because I got to do different things — I got to write and lay out the year book, learn how to expand my horizons, basically."

Yamamoto will study chemical engineering at the University of Washington beginning in the fall. He was recently notified that he was NASA Space Grant Scholar at the school.

"I don't know (how I picked chemical engineering); just growing up on a farm and then taking chemistry and physics classes in high school, I learned to like that type of material," he said.

Yoshimi described her son as hard-working, focused, motivated and as someone who loves challenges.

"I am a Husky myself and it's nice to have another Husky in my family," she said, noting that she has three Cougars as well. "UW is an excellent choice of school for the field he wants to study."

"It's quite a privilege, but I would say it's good family, good genes," said WHS principal Leonard Lusk with a smile of having a Washington Scholar roam the halls. "(It's a) nice combination that pushes a young man to accomplish everything he's capable of. Nice combination, and Marc is a great young man."