Raising the bar high: Career Tech’s Arthur MIT bound

WASILLA — Not your average high school senior by any means, Mat-Su Career Tech’s Lucas Arthur is headed to the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology next fall.

The 17-year old enjoys figuring out how and why stuff works. He said it "...kind of applies to anything and everything."

Arthur said he plans to double major in physics and nuclear engineering with a minor in math.

"Post-graduate I'll probably in do something in physics, but anything I say would be speculative — kind of been looking into Oxford," Arthur said.

The son of David and Deanna Arthur of Wasilla, Lucas transferred from Colony High School for academics but still runs cross country for the Knights.

On his way to being Career Tech’s 2017 Class valedictorian, Arthur is a Science Olympiad 10-time gold medalist, three-time state champion with an eye on his fourth this year. State finals for the competition will be April 1.

He is also an Ocean Bowl member. Similar to a high school quiz bowl, Ocean Bowl is focused on oceanography. Part of it involves writing a 15-page research paper Arthur’s group wrote on ocean acidification and its impact on king crab in the Bering Sea. They will present their findings at state.

Arthur is also a two-time Science Bowl state champion and one time state runner-up. The event delves into all facets of the topic and is held in the nation's capital each year. He's hoping to make it there again this year.

"Our region is the entire state because so few schools participate. So if we win, we go to nationals," Arthur said pointing to the many banners lining the main-floor ceiling the school has earned for various academic competitions.

Arthur's other endeavors include membership in the National Technical Honor Society, student government — where he currently serves as president, similar to regular NHS — and is president of student government. As a member of Alaska Association of Student Governments (AASG), Arthur currently serves as parliamentarian where he has rewritten the group's constitution and by-laws. A new challenge he's undertaken recently is participating in World Quest, a quiz bowl event that focuses on socioeconomic and geopolitical issues, cyber security, climate change, and international relations.

"We were state runners-up last year, my first year I did it," said Arthur.

Arthur's credits also include regional director of Civic Duty, a non-profit group with a focus on civic participation particularly in youth.

"It's really just getting off the ground. This is the beginning of this chapter," Arthur said.

He was also invited last spring to participate in the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP). Founded in the early 1960's, it is sponsored jointly by the US Senate and William Randolph Hearst Foundation. The annual competitive scholarship program picks two outstanding high school students from each state through a testing and interview process. In addition to a $10,000 scholarship, those attending have unprecedented access to high government officials all the way up to cabinet members. He even met President Obama.

"It was really cool," Arthur said.

Typical school day

Having skipped eighth grade, Arthur had tackled most of his regular course offerings before starting his senior year. He completed his first high school mathematics class in sixth grade and took English I his freshman year.

"My teacher told 'you're ready'. You can skip English II and English III. So I took AP (Advanced Placement) Literature as a sophomore and AP Language as a junior," Arthur said.

So he begins the school day with advanced composition. Having skipped two required English classes, Arthur was actually short of the mandated number of English credits needed to graduate. With help from teacher Blake Livingston, the problem was solved.

"It's a curriculum that I actually created," Arthur explained. "It's basically a philosophy class. I read whatever I want and then I write about it. Right now I'm reading Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophies," Arthur said. "I could have taken (an academic) step backward."

Next up is linear algebra. With AP calculus under his belt, time to move on to a class offered through MIT. Although he won't receive college credit, Arthur said the class gives him a feel for what is to come next fall. The class focuses on matrices and dimensional issues. He is the only one in the school tackling the class, which is well beyond the scope of high school offerings.

Calculus-based physics follows where Arthur focuses on general and special relativity.

"I have a lot of fun messing with problems," Arthur explained. "One problem took seven hours to work through... the answer was five!”

He follows that with a relatively benign comparative world religions and AP Government and Politics. His last class of the day is AP calculus BC, a second-year calculus class offering.

With so much going on academically, Arthur said he thoroughly enjoys running cross country. He is also quite fond of cross-country skiing although he said the past several winters have made that rough.

"I make sure I do something every day, whether it's running or cross-country. In theory, I like to do a lot of cross-country, in reality, I've been doing a little," Arthur said. "I don't have much time for hobbies. I do a lot of reading...a lot of reading. And I enjoy building things. I've got a decked out chemistry lab in my basement. I enjoy building rockets."

After college

Arthur said he is the type of individual who, once he accomplishes a task to his satisfaction, he has to move on to something different.

"I don't think I could stick to one field for more than five years. Once I get good at something, I have to do something else," Arthur explained. "Maybe being a professor, doing research. Or maybe starting a company or something with NASA.

Mat-Su Borough School District Public Information Officer Catherine Esary said most students like Arthur finish their high school careers with a grade point average higher than the standard 4.0 due to weighted classes. Those classes are graded differently than standard high school offerings.

"Most student like Lucas are well beyond four-point," Esary said. "(Valedictorian-salutatorian status) is not as important. Colleges look at the classes taken. It's really about offering the opportunities. Career Tech has enabled him to expand. He could not have done that 10 years ago in the Mat-Su. It’s so different than when we were in school. There is so much more opportunity."

Arthur said he could have followed the middle college career path during his school where he would have earned college credits for classes taken. He said he felt it wouldn't have served him as well as the path he has chosen.

"There are no other students at Career Tech that have advanced as far as Arthur," said Esary.

"I think the best strategy was to get out of the way and let me grab what I wanted," Arthur said.

Esary said it is district administrators and teachers and that have allowed this type of program to flourish.

"The school needs to help them know where to go to get the information," says Esary. Other Mat-Su schools have allowed other specialties to excel. Colony High School has a premier music program and Wasilla is known for its drama.

"If kids want the more social environment, it's still availabl,” she said. “Lucas has raised the bar."

"Once you move beyond the regular classroom, there is so much more opportunity," Arthur said.

Teachers--administrators

The school's administrators and teachers speak highly of Lucas.

"I really enjoyed getting to know Lucas this year and it's been a privilege to work with him. I'm excited for his journey," said Livingston. "He's an exceptional young man.".

Fellow teacher Gary Howell said Arthur's input has been instrumental in helping him and the school design needed instruction guidelines for its elite students.

"Lucas sees things in a way that most people don't see things. He's able to anticipate things. He's made my teaching better. He's been able to grow beyond the class to make the whole class better. He provokes learning in me, as well. That thirst for knowledge is really unique," Howell said. "This is my 17th year of teaching and I've never met anyone like Lucas. He is a once-in-a-career type student. I've been fortunate to see a well rounded, personable young man with a long list of accomplishments. And he is so down to earth. He's a really good chameleon who can blend with any group of people and not be out of place. Hope to keep in touch with him...maybe he'll get me a job!”

School principal Mark Okeson agreed that Arthur is a special young man.

"When I'm talking to Lucas, I almost feel like I'm talking to a full-grown adult. He's sharp, intuitive, he can talk just as comfortably about history, math, or the history of math, politics, religion. He's well-informed which is quite a gift and that's something he's worked on,” Okeson said. "Students like Lucas are gifted academically and emotionally. He fits in in every sphere. He's always had that ability to read a situation, to listen well, and to see where arguments are going. His mind works in a way where he sees where people are going.

"It's fun. You're going to the right place and you're going to make your mark," Okeson said to Arthur.