Sam Kim: Aliso's Scholar of Scholars

Sam Kim is doing what other  seniors are doing: juggling new responsibilities while looking forward to college. But the 18-year-old is also the Scholar of Scholars for the graduating class of 2011, an honor bestowed on the student with the highest grade-point average.

Kim has a 4.7 GPA (0.7 points higher than what is considered "perfect"). His senior-year schedule includes advanced-placement (AP) classes—government, statistics, environmental science, computer science—and literature and orchestra. Kim has taken a total of 14 AP classes throughout high school.

As the president of Math Olympiad and Physics Olympiad clubs, a participant in the CUSD district honor orchestra, and co-captain of Science Olympiad, the AP homework would often have to be pushed off until 10 p.m., leaving Kim with no choice but to endure many late nights to complete his assignments. Kim says the way he was able to pull through this massive workload was by just “taking one step at a time.”

Kim's accomplishments go beyond the classroom. He has invented what he describes as a metal alloy that he hopes will enhance the ability of devices—such as hybrid cars—to transfer and convert electricity. He has applied for a patent and was a semifinalist in both the Siemens Competition and Intel STS. He hopes to publishing his findings in the science journal Applied Physics Letters.

“The alloys are called amorphous metal alloys, or metallic glass," he says. "I was developing new alloys to improve the magnetic properties so that it can be used in power electronic applications. It allows for a much more efficient transfer and conversion of electricity. Essentially, this will make power distribution, power generation and power conversion much more efficient, also allowing applications such as renewable energy sources (solar and wind) and hybrid/electric vehicles to be more economically feasible.”

Kim will attend Harvard University in the fall.