August 5, 2007
Californian School News
By: The Californian -
Trail Blazers honored at school
MURRIETA ---- Vista Murrieta High School recognized 22 students at the monthly Trail Blazers luncheon. Students who have demonstrated leadership skills were invited by faculty members. Each student received a special horseshoe pin and certificate.
Honored were: Jose Aguirre, Stephanie Ahn, Katie Armstrong, Katie Beyer-Andrews, Amanda Cobbs, Karli Cox, Jose "Franky" Cruz, Brooke Dotson, Garrett Estrada, Cody Gagnon, Monique Gonzalez, Jackie Landwehr, Julia Love, Alicia Perry, Brittany Pickell, Erin Rafferty, Andrea Salas, Shane Sohail, Nicole Trousas, Sandie Valenzuela, Zach VanDuesen and Owen Weissberg.
Hospital auxiliary awards scholarships
SUN CITY ---- Eight students have received scholarships from the Menifee Valley Medical Center Auxiliary.
Scholarships went to Marie Araux, Wilma Briones, Shawna Brooks, Shannon Goebel, Laura Hurtado and Khloud Sebak, who are beginning their careers.
Advanced scholarships were awarded to Debra Fana and Deborah Mercer, who are seeking further education.
Lake Elsinore Elks award scholarships
LAKE ELSINORE ---- Lake Elsinore Elks Lodge 2591 hosted its 18th annual scholarship awards dinner April 29.
From the Elks Ladies, Daniella Segura of Elsinore High School, and Aryana Badery of Temescal Canyon each received $500 from the Marilyn DeJong Memorial Scholarship Fund. DeJong, who died in 2002, was known for her interest in youth and education.
Also receiving $500 scholarships were Amanda Rhea and Danielle Sheppard of Elsinore High School and Caity Jo Craven, Tracy Empson, Jacquelyn Guiterrez and Michelle Lee of Temescal Canyon.
Earning scholarships from the Elks were:
- Elsinore High ---- Bjorn Roach, $2,000, Danielle Sheppard, $2,000, Thomas Miller, $1,500, Eric Ruiter, $1,250, Amanda Rhea, $1,500.
- Temescal Canyon ---- Dominique Wilson, $1,250, Tracy Empson, $1,000, Kevin Johnston, $1,000, Adrian Cazares, $750.
- Calvary Chapel Christian Academy ---- Allison Mulholland, $750.
Michael Sullivan of Paloma Valley High received the Vocational Grant of $500. He is due to receive an additional award of $1,000, which is renewable for a second year from the state for a course in motorcycle repair and maintenance.
Roach received an additional award of $700 from the state and is going to compete in the national competition. Rhea received $200 from the district and $800 from the state.
The event was coordinated by Larry Hannon and his scholarship committee. Soozi Greene was scholarship chairman for the Elks Ladies.
Poster contest winners honored
TEMECULA ---- Winners of Rancho California Water District's "Water is Life" fifth-grade poster contest and the middle/high school "Art of Technology" multimedia contest were recently honored.
Winners were: Temecula Valley Unified School District: Poster contest ---- Grand prize, James Fune, Sparkman Elementary; first place, Kevin Gonzalez, Tony Tobin Elementary; second, Christy Wiklund, Helen Hunt Jackson Elementary; third, Kristin Kenyon, Tony Tobin. Tech contest ---- Grand prize, high school division, Kyle Good, 12th grade, Temecula Valley High School.
Murrieta Valley Unified School District: Poster contest ---- First place, Abigail Goveia, E. Hale Curran Elementary; second, Jameson Roth, E. Hale Curran; third, Hailey Talbot, Cole Canyon Elementary. Tech contest ---- Grand prize, middle school division, Jake Weiner, seventh grade, Bryce Erickson, eighth grade, and Junior Daher, seventh grade, all Thompson Middle School.
The contests, held in recognition of Water Awareness Month, were created to encourage students to learn about and create an appreciation for natural water resources.
Posters were judged on theme expression, originality, neatness and spelling. Multimedia entries were judged on their ability to convey the theme "Water is Life" through a media format including television commercials, podcast segments, documentaries and radio announcements.
Poster contest winners were awarded trophies, postcards featuring their artwork and a gift card for the movies. The multimedia contest winners were awarded plaques, iPod shuffles, an iTunes gift card and had their commercial played on KZSW-TV and as a movie theater trailer at the Temecula Edwards theater last month.
Temecula Valley choirs win award
TEMECULA ---- Temecula Valley High School's three choral groups won the Festival Sweepstakes Award for the highest school scores at the Heritage Competition last month in San Francisco.
Directed by Dean Aamodt, the Concert, Chamber and Show choirs all scored high marks at the gold level, earning an invitation to next year's Elite Gold Competition.
Each group earned first-place honors in their categories. The Show Choir also earned the Choral Sweepstakes Award for the highest vocal score of all the groups.
Locals graduates from college
- Jonathan Cringan of Temecula graduated cum laude from San Diego State University in December with a degree in philosophy.
He will attend George Mason University School of Law in Arlington, Va. in the fall.
- Samantha Eells, of Menifee, received a master of public health degree from the Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University in Atlanta on May 14.
- Brianna Rue Gross, of Lake Elsinore, and Jennifer Riedel Fulkerson, of Murrieta, graduated from Abilene Christian University in Texas during May 2007 commencement. Gross graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in animal science. Fulkerson graduated cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in biochemistry.
- Vincent Shanks, of Temecula, received a master of science in human services from Springfield (Mass.) College.
Locals named to dean's list
- Lynn Stow of Lake Elsinore was named to the spring 2007 dean's list at Schreiner University in Kerrville, Texas. To qualify for the list, full-time students must have passing grades in all classes and a grade-point average of at least 3.3.
- Kaitlin Wilczynski of Murrieta was named to the spring 2007 dean's list at Cal State Fullerton. She compiled a 4.0 grade-point average during her junior year, majoring in health science.
Credit union awards scholarships
RIVERSIDE ---- Altura Credit Union recently awarded 22 local high school graduates with college scholarships totaling $22,000. Megan Smith of Murrieta Valley High School received $1,000 as one of 18 general scholarship recipients.
The scholarship program was open to all Riverside County high school seniors who planned on enrolling in an accredited post-secondary institution in 2007. It is the 15th year that the Altura Foundation awarded scholarships.
Temescal grad a President's Scholar
LONG BEACH ---- Eric Ruiter, a 2007 valedictorian at Temescal Canyon High School, is among the newest class of Presidentís Scholars at Cal State Long Beach.
Selected from some 600 applicants, Kaplan will be among 50 freshmen Presidentís Scholars at the campus when classes start Sept. 4.
Established in 1995, the program was created to bring valedictorians and National Merit Scholars from California high schools to the university. There are more than 300 high school valedictorians and National Merit Scholars attending the university.
Ruiter received a full four-year scholarship worth about $40,000 through the scholars program at Cal State Long Beach, where he is planning to major in theater arts.
Presidentís Scholars receive a scholarship covering general student fees, an annual book allowance and paid housing in the campus residence halls for four years.
Ruiter is the son of Michael and Terri Ruiter of Corona.
CLASS NOTES
Elsinore class of '87 plans reunion
WILDOMAR ---- Elsinore High School's class of 1987 will host its 20-year reunion Aug. 25 at the Holiday Inn on the Bay in San Diego.
The class was the last to graduate from Elsinore High School that consisted of students from Canyon Lake, Lake Elsinore, Murrieta and Temecula.
For information, visit www.greatreunions.com.
Firm donates money to schools
TEMECULA ---- Edge, a construction company, recently donated $10,000 each to the Murrieta Valley and Lake Elsinore Valley unified school districts. The funds were proceeds from the firm's second annual golf tournament in October.
Edge's third annual tournament will be Sept. 17 at Bear Creek Country Club.