Auburn School District No. 408
915 4th Street Northeast, Auburn, WA  98002

9/19/06

NEWS RELEASE
Auburn Rotary Selects International Student
as September Student of the Month

On September 20, Pitichoke “Daniel” Chulapamornsri, a senior at Auburn Adventist Academy, will be honored as Auburn Rotary’s September student of the month. He will attend the recognition luncheon with Keith Hallam, Auburn Adventist Academy principal, and his parents, Steve and Cindy Heupel.

Daniel is Thai, coming to the States for his education. His good friend introduced him to Auburn Adventist Academy, and after surfing the Internet and doing his research, he decided to attend the school starting in the ninth grade. Four years later, Daniel is looking forward to graduation and moving on to college. “I plan to stay in America. I’ve applied to four universities so far,” states Daniel.

Daniel is an avid leader on his campus and in the community. He is senior class president, a role that requires strong attention to detail and organizational leadership. He is planning the senior trip, graduation, community service activities and class socials. Some of the community service events include feeding the homeless in Seattle and visiting Auburn area senior centers. One of Daniel’s all-time favorite activities was traveling to Mississippi over the 2005 Thanksgiving break to help Hurricane Katrina victims in need. “I get a good feeling after I help people, and when I help others, those people will do the same,” says Daniel.

Daniel helps others, but he understands that he also must take care of himself. He stays fit by swimming one mile four days a week. He also enjoys skiing Crystal Mountain in the winter. To satisfy his musical appetite, he plays both the trombone and euphonium, a smaller tuba, in the wind ensemble. He also was hand-selected to be in the school’s piano quartet. Daniel is successful in the classroom too. He has a 3.97 GPA and enjoys math, particularly calculus. “I plan to take the AP exam at the end of the school year. Hopefully I’ll get some college credit,” states Daniel.

When asked if Daniel plans to begin his career in America, he hesitates: “I like it in America, but my family is in Thailand, so I’m debating to see where I go after college.”

For more information contact Amy Spence, Auburn School District public information officer, at (253) 931-4713.