May 17, 1998
760 Southern Arizona high school seniors triumph
Teens plan careers in medicine, music, media
Service benefits AIDS patients, the environment, accident victims
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May 17, 1998 |
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OVERCOMING OBSTACLES 760 Southern Arizona high school seniors triumph |
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GOAL-ORIENTED Teens plan careers in medicine, music, media |
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HELPING HANDS Service benefits AIDS patients, the environment, accident victims |
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| Express Yourself | ||
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Ben Kirkby,
The Arizona Daily Star
Deva Stock Abela is an intern at the Arizona State Museum.
By Jenna Louise Slosson
Special to The Arizona Daily Star
While other teen-agers are watching television or shopping at the mall, Deva Stock Abela is busy excavating at an archaeological dig.
When not blanketed in dust, she can be found explaining fossils to schoolchildren or researching prehistoric cultures through skeletal remains or pottery fragments.
Abela, a senior at Sahuaro High School, interns at the Arizona State Museum, working with the assistant curator of education. She obtained the internship through a Sahuaro class.
The 17-year-old works with children on projects involving museum collections.
``This class is my favorite because I get to go out into the field I want to work in,'' Abela said.
She also works at Old Pueblo Archaeology Center, where she participated in local archaeological digs and helps teach children about anthropology and archaeology.
``For me, anthropology is like a bug. I cannot explain it. I just love it. It is like a mysterious puzzle you have to put back together,'' she said. Abela plans to attend the University of Arizona and major in anthropology.
Last summer, she was chosen as an Oregon Museum of Science and Industry young scholar, a program sponsored by the National Science Foundation. She participated in a study of pictograph and petroglyph rock art in the Great Basin of Eastern Oregon.
``It was great because I was really able to study something in depth . . . and be around people my age who had the same love. I also got the chance to work with a lot of people highly respected in their fields of study,'' Abela said.
She said anthropology has helped her learn that people ``can understand the smallest bits of atoms, but we still cannot explain why people do (certain) things.''
In addition to her anthropology work, Abela stays on top of her studies and ranks in the top 4 percent of her class.
She is president of Sahuaro's chapter of the National Honor Society, vice president of the Shakespeare club and a member of the multi-cultural committee.
Abela's achievements have not come easily. In kindergarten, she was diagnosed with a learning disability that affects her spelling, work speed and math computations.
``It is frustrating when you understand complex math concepts, but simple calculations prevent you from getting the answer correct,'' said Abela, who serves on the board of directors for Third Street Kids, a performance group involving disabled and non-disabled youngsters.
She educates incoming freshmen about disabilities by talking to students in English classes, and she gives presentations during Disability Awareness Week to schoolchildren.
``I want to show these kids that while it may be difficult, they can do it. I want to provide them the positive role model I never had as a child growing up.''
Jenna Louise Slosson is a senior at Salpointe Catholic High School.