A Punahou senior has been recognized as one of Hawai‘i’s top performers on Advanced Placement exams in math and science.

Sonia Chang '13 is one of two Hawai‘i state winners of the 2012 – 13 Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement, a program sponsored by the Siemens Foundation and administered by the College Board.

The program recognizes the nation’s top achievers in Advanced Placement courses in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), awarding a $2,000 college scholarship to one male and one female student in each state.

Sonia has taken a total of five AP courses to date, and lists her favorite AP class as biology, according to a news release from the Siemens Foundation. Her advice to other students is “treat AP courses as opportunities to push yourself to your academic limits. There’s so much information that can be taken away from the courses, and if you focus on that rather than the final result, you'll find success.”

Steven Okada, a senior at Maui High School, was Hawai‘i’s other winner.