* Personal: Age 17; daughter of Deborah and Chuck Thorne of Hana; enjoys going to the beach, spending time with family and friends, baking desserts and reading.
* At School: Member of the Hana High School Student Government and National Honor Society and on the Honor Roll.
* Off Campus: Volunteers at food banks in California and Hawaii.
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Nina Mei Thorne
* Beyond High School: After high school, I would like to go to college in Washington and earn a bachelor's degree with a major in business management and a minor in psychology.
* What would you do to improve education in Hawaii? "To improve education in Hawaii, I would first correct the budget. Secondly, I would hire more teachers. I would insist that educators be specialized and masterfully trained in the subjects that they are required to teach. Teachers would have to show a passion for teaching, and those that are not up to standard would be cut. I would hire more teachers, not only to have more coverage in the classroom, but to offer more classes that are pertinent to the problems of today. In this changing world, youths must have greater awareness of global economics and focus on languages, finance and life skills."
Fact Box
The students in this weekly feature are selected by officials at their respective high schools. "Student Spotlight" recognizes students of good character who are involved in school or community activities such as athletics, clubs, student government and volunteer work.
