Nearly graduated, Simi Valley senior has already been a part of history
By Miguel Morales miguel@theacorn.com

Daniel Sakaida

When other kids were out skateboarding or putting frogs in a sibling's toy box, Daniel Sakaida was reading the biggest American history books he could find.

By the time he turned 16, he was volunteering as a docent at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. One of the youngest guides in the facility's short history, he was leading guests on tours, entertaining visitors from other states and countries, and explaining all the little secrets that make the library a treasure trove of historical information.

"It's all in a day's work," Daniel, now 18, said. "There's so much history up there, and that's great for me because I love history."

A senior at Trinity Pacific High School in Newbury Park and a resident of Simi Valley, Daniel was recently awarded a $500 scholarship from the Ventura County Republican Women Federation. The organization forwarded "A Nation's Birthright," the essay he submitted with his application, to the Charlotte Mousel Scholarship Committee for additional scholarship consideration.

In December, Daniel was tagged ABC-TV's "Cool Kid of the Week," an honor that earned him an additional $1,000 toward his higher education.

Selected from hundreds of entries, Daniel was chosen in large part, he said, for his community involvement, which includes serving as an executive board member on the city's Neighborhood Council No. 1, the youngest in Simi to hold the appointed position.

"It's a counterbalance to all the bad stuff that's on television these days, all the shootings and drugs teenagers are involved in," Daniel said of his feature on ABC. "I didn't even know that I was in the running. One day I was just told I would be interviewed by ABC, but I wasn't nervous. I just took it as it came and loved every minute of it."

Daniel plans to use all of his scholarship money after going to college locally next year.

"I'm still undecided as to what I will do for the rest of my life, but I know I will find it while I study at Moorpark College," he said. "Maybe I'll run for mayor some day."

Marion Erbe, a docent at the Reagan Library, has been working alongside Daniel for the past year and a half. She calls him "wise beyond his years."

"I've always been impressed with him," Erbe said. "He is so poised. It doesn't matter if he gives a tour to kids or to senior citizens- he is just very calm and collected, he is truly exceptional."

The oldest of three boys, Daniel enjoys going mountain biking and playing the piano in his free time. And though hobbies and study habits among the brothers may differ, he said, they all get along fine, thanks to his mother.

"I've got to give it to my mother- she's helped me out a lot," Daniel said. "She raised the three of us almost by herself."

Betsy Sakaida, Daniel's mom, said that watching him grow up has been a "wonderful time" in her life.

"We expect a lot out of him," she said.