By Charlie Warner, Special to the Independent
Described by an organizer as a “unique night,” the high school Honors Convocation featured 129 financial donors who met 130 seniors that applied and won scholarships, with many presenters personally handing the students $386,175 in awards on Friday, June 9.
The total amount given away totaled about $6,000 more than last year.
Laguna Beach High School Scholarship Foundation President Ketta Brown emphasized the honor conferred on the graduating class of 2017. “These are people who believe in you even though most of them don’t know you,” she said of the donors.
One recipient was Bruce Knill, an all-star athlete who received a particularly special scholarship. An alumnus of West Point, the U.S. Military Academy, handed Bruce a plaque and announced that the LBHS graduate would be getting a free education, admitted to the highly selective officer training school of 4,300 cadets.
By comparison, the average cost of a four-year private U.S. college is $45,370, according to the College Board. On top of that, Bruce will be earning more than $900 a month, which will only grow over time. “It’s a great school. You get something there that can’t be found elsewhere,” said Bruce of the school.
“We had nine new scholarships this year and I continue to be moved by the generosity of our community. We are always looking for new donors that would like to invest in the lives of our students,” said Lynn Gregory, the LBHS scholarship and financial aid specialist.
The Festival of Arts was one of the night’s largest donors, giving $30,000 to students for various achievements in the arts, including scholarships in visual arts, performing arts and film.
Other scholarships given by local organizations included the Boys and Girls Club, a hefty scholarship given to community college goers, Friends of the Laguna Library, The Laguna Beach Business Club, the Laguna Beach Garden Club, Laguna Beach Live!, the Laguna Board of Realtors, No Square Theater, Rotary Club of Laguna Beach, The Sawdust Festival, Village Laguna and the Woman’s Club, among many others. There was even an “I love Laguna” Scholarship.
Scholarship Awards
A. H. Robertson Memorial Scholarship $500.00
Kirsten Landsiedel
AAUW, Laguna Beach Branch Scholarship $3,000.00
Kaden Matheson
Isabella Musiol
Olivia Vera
Allen Bell Memorial Scholarship Fund $1,000.00
Summer Clawson
Cole Paxson
American Legion Post 222 Citizenship Award $500.00
Callista Helms
Anna Mary Beck Business Administration Scholarship $4,000.00
Colette Hammett
April and Daphne Crevier Memorial Scholarships $10,000.00
Michaela Bryant
Lucile Fontenot
Alec Fritschmann
Ruby Green
Daniel Herger
Marissa Lee
Dallin Luedtke
Dylan Soloff
Chloe Stuart
Charlotte Watkins
Arthur B. Harward Memorial Scholarship $2,200.00
Ryan Meisberger
Assistance League of Laguna Beach Scholarship $35,000.00
Michaela Bryant
Lillian Cook
Jack Dickerson
Timothee Galmiche
Ruby Green
Daniel Herger
Marissa Lee
Dylan Soloff
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Yasmeen Tarazi
AYSO, Region 86, Laguna Beach Scholarship $1,000.00
Madison Sinclair
Barbara Diamond Excellence in Journalism Award $500.00
Kamryn George
Barbara Flemming Williams Scholarship $2,500.00
William Bonn
Barbara Laird ROP Memorial Scholarship $1,000.00
Roman Cerdas
Bass Family Scholarship $600.00
Kaden Matheson
Bill O’Brien, Class of ’57, Memorial Scholarship $1,000.00
Ryan Whitlock
Blakemore Family Design Scholarship $1,000.00
Joshua Kramer
Bonnie S. Lang Memorial Scholarship $500.00
Alexandria Hinmon
Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach Scholarship – Bluebird Branch $500.00
Rachel Kenney
Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach Scholarship – Canyon $1,000.00
Branch
Alec Fritschmann
Madison Sinclair
Brandon Balsiger – Post Memorial Scholarship $4,000.00
Anneliese Douglass
Kathleen Kimball
Breaker Opportunity Fund $5,250.00
Angelique Begay
Latifa Berri
Ethan Gee
Katherine Hayden
Aidan Hope
Noah Kilburg
Lauren LaMontagne
Jake Onodera
Isabella Orr
Cole Paxson
Grant Potratz
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Dexter Russo
Emma Scott
Camron Blackburn Memorial Scholarship $5,000.00
Olivia Vera
Charlotte W. Munro Scholarship $500.00
Katie Williams
Christian Service Award $1,500.00
William Bonn
Maya Clemons
Thomas Gregory
Jake Onodera
Anika Pitz
Bayley Thomas
Citizens Business Bank Scholarship $700.00
Isabella Orr
Claes Andersen Hospitality Scholarship Fund $1,500.00
Hunter Sokolovic
CLARK Family Scholarship $500.00
Samantha Berk
Class of 2015 Spirit Award $1,000.00
Hunter Mills
Coldwell Banker Aspiring Agents Award $2,000.00
Lucile Fontenot
Colladay Family Scholarship $2,000.00
Daniel Herger
Uta Urushido
College and Career Advantage Distinguished Student Award $500.00
Dillon Gaboury
Community Learning Center Scholarship $1,200.00
Jake Mangus
Courtney Kelley Cohen Memorial Scholarship $3,000.00
Daniel Herger
Dallin Luedtke
CSEA, California School Employees Association, Laguna Beach $500.00
Chapter #131 Scholarship
Thomas Gregory
Dallas and Les Billinger Memorial Scholarship $1,000.00
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Sabrina Flagstad
Sarina Solis
Daughters of the American Revolution Award(s) $500.00
Claire Black
Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen Award $250.00
Kaden Matheson
David and Betsy Paul Memorial Acting Scholarship $500.00
Bayley Thomas
Diane Alpert ‘I Love Laguna’ Scholarship $500.00
Quinlan Seely
Dick Metz Surf Foundation Scholarship $1,000.00
Anika Pitz
Don Kucera Memorial Scholarship $500.00
Rosaria Morreale
Dr. Robert E. French Memorial Scholarship $1,000.00
Ana Kelly
Dr. Steven and Mrs. Lor Speach Community College Scholarship $7,000.00
Alexis Amaradio
Crystal Curras
Tiana Farhang
Lucile Fontenot
Kamryn George
Citlalli Hernandez
Zane Herr
Cameron Jones
Dante Madrigal
Lania Paul
Reno Sammons
Yasmeen Tarazi
Jack Tyrrell
Katie Williams
Dr. William White Memorial Scholarship $1,000.00
Arianna Brenes
Driven to the Max Award $3,000.00
Brynn Anderson
Matthew Hayes
Dylan Soloff
Ebell Club Scholarship(s) $4,000.00
Emily Addis
Liam Duncan
Ava Pacheco
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Madison Sinclair
Eric Abernathy Memorial Scholarship $500.00
Joshua Kramer
Exxon Mobile Excellence in Science $500.00
Autumn Geil
Festival of Arts Scholarship – Film $1,800.00
Wyatt Shipp
Festival of Arts Scholarship – Performing Arts $16,000.00
Jordan Burton
Carmen Fernandez
Elliet Glade
Vivian Gould
Elijah Meisse
Rosaria Morreale
Jack Smith
Bayley Thomas
Ryan Zipstein
Festival of Arts Scholarship – Visual Arts $12,600.00
Kendyl Brennan
Michaela Bryant
Regan Caraher
Katya Cox-Kruger
Isabella Diaz-Anderson
Carly Hodes
Joshua Kramer
First Team / Christie’s International Scholarship $2,400.00
Grace Wellsfry
FOA Foundation Scholarship $1,500.00
Jack Smith
Fred Pratley Memorial Scholarship $500.00
Ryan Meisberger
French Foreign Language Achievement Award $5,250.00
Emily Addis
Latifa Berri
Katya Cox-Kruger
Timothee Galmiche
Eva Johnson
Kathleen Kimball
Will Kramer
Lauren LaMontagne
Vanessa Lortal
Isabella Musiol
Dexter Russo
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Ali Samanifard
Friends of Laguna Library Scholarship $1,000.00
Emily Addis
Gerald A Neumann Memorial Scholarship $500.00
Olivia Vera
Gerald A. Dennis Scholarship $500.00
Paige Pattillo
Hanson, Wilson, Tempest Sober Service Award $15,000.00
Elliet Glade
Daniel Levinstein
Ava Pacheco
Heart & Soul Award $2,500.00
Kayla LePage
Torrey Menne
Heather Brobeck Memorial Scholarship $1,000.00
Kaden Matheson
Helen F. & Alan E. Adams Memorial Scholarship $3,000.00
Arianna Brenes
Carmen Fernandez
Kamryn George
Eva Johnson
Milana LaRosa
Isabella Musiol
I Define Me Scholarship $5,000.00
Samantha Berk
Thomas Gregory
Karly Peterson
Integrity Award $2,000.00
Integrity Award
Jack Dickerson
Matthew Hodes
James Patrick Vincent and Marian Pickens Fagan Scholarship $9,600.00
Fund
Liam Duncan
Isabella Musiol
Jennifer Lynn Bammer Memorial Scholarship $500.00
Katie Williams
Jerome Karp Scholarship $500.00
Barry Greenough
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Joe Thurston Scholarship Fund $10,000.00
Danielle Conklin
Fiona Didato
Raymond Hunter
Christine Johnson
Joseph Laptin
Torrey Menne
Ayrton Svenson
Lucas Toro
Alexandra Wilson
Luke Winter
Joey Masella Scholarship $500.00
Reno Sammons
Juan Castano Memorial Scholarship $750.00
Gordon Pike
Julia Thomson Memorial Scholarship $500.00
Kaden Matheson
K.I.M. “Keep Imagining More” Scholarship $5,000.00
Kamryn George
Marissa Lee
Karly Peterson
Reno Sammons
Grace Wellsfry
Kea Simon Medical Scholarship $1,000.00
Anneliese Douglass
Keith Childers Memorial Scholarship $1,000.00
Callista Helms
Kenneth G. Beyer Memorial Scholarship $1,000.00
Arianna Brenes
Laguna Beach Business Club Entrepreneurial Scholarship $2,000.00
Connor Brashier
Lucien Georges
Laguna Beach Garden Club Scholarship $4,500.00
Daniel Herger
Laguna Beach Historical Society Scholarship $1,000.00
Kaden Matheson
Laguna Beach Live! Scholarship $1,000.00
Jonah Reynolds
Laguna Beach Marine Safety Association LBHS Scholarship $2,000.00
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Chloe Flora
Grace Wellsfry
Laguna Beach Unified Faculty Association Scholarship $1,500.00
Paige Kesler
Laguna Board of REALTORS and Affiliates’ Charitable $2,250.00
Assistance Fund
Kendyl Brennan
Carmen Fernandez
Joshua Kramer
Laguna Community Concert Band Scholarship $500.00
Rosaria Morreale
Laguna Dance Festival Scholarship $1,000.00
Jordan Burton
Laguna Greenbelt Inc. Scholarship $1,500.00
Evan Haglund
LBHS Alumni Scholarship $3,500.00
Connor Brashier
Kendyl Brennan
Brooke Bunn
Nicole Davidson
Barry Greenough
Eva Johnson
Cameron Jones
LBHS Athletic Boosters Scholarship Award $2,000.00
Connor Coscino
Elliet Glade
LBHS Band Boosters Scholarship $2,475.00
Justin Flemming-
Aidan Hope
Elijah Meisse
Rosaria Morreale
Ali Samanifard
Jack Smith
LBHS Class of 1998 Scholarship $500.00
Lania Paul
LBHS Faculty La Vern Dugger Family Memorial Scholarship $1,000.00
Barry Greenough
LBHS Surf Team Scholarship $4,000.00
Dante Madrigal
Anika Pitz
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Les Chatham Memorial Award, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 5868 $500.00
Rosaria Morreale
Lila Zali Memorial Dance Scholarship $1,000.00
Jordan Burton
Linda and Joseph Leighton Memorial Scholarship $13,000.00
Alec Fritschmann
Dylan Soloff
Lique Hoskins Trust Scholarship $3,000.00
Leonardo Lahijani
Victoria Mastrocola
Little Church by the Sea Scholarship $2,000.00
Christian Marron
Grace Wellsfry
Lu Campbell Memorial Scholarship $1,000.00
Carly Hodes
Luby Family Musical Theater Scholarship $1,000.00
Carmen Fernandez
Elliet Glade
MacGillivray-Freeman Film Award(s) $2,000.00
Wyatt Shipp
Ryan Zipstein
Marc Pitz Memorial Scholarship $2,000.00
Annabella Baldridge
Camden Benson
Margaret Louise Cox Memorial Scholarship $500.00
Elijah Meisse
Mark Tiner Memorial Scholarship $2,000.00
Samantha Berk
Joshua Kramer
Mark Tiner Memorial Spirit Award $1,000.00
Barry Greenough
Massen Greene Foundation Scholarship $20,000.00
Jack Dickerson
Evan Haglund
Daniel Herger
Christian Marron
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Masson Foundation Water Polo Scholarship $10,000.00
Claire Sonne
Judge Washer
Matthew Reedy Memorial Scholarship $1,000.00
Connor Coscino
McPhisto Society Award $500.00
Joshua Kramer
Melvin J. Tonkon MD Medical Scholarship $4,000.00
Autumn Geil
Moe Money $1,250.00
Elliet Glade
Wyatt Shipp
Myrna Heitel Music Scholarship $1,000.00
Rosaria Morreale
Jack Smith
Naude Family ‘Clean Ocean’ Scholarship $2,000.00
Jack Dickerson
Anika Pitz
No Runner Left Behind Scholarship $2,000.00
Callista Helms
Ana Kelly
Noah Kilburg
Michael Sivetts
No Square Scholarship $2,000.00
Elliet Glade
Elijah Meisse
Nolan Watters Memorial Scholarship $1,500.00
Lillian Cook
Olga Tursini Torriero Linguistics Award $1,000.00
Paige Pattillo
P & M Herbert Family Scholarship $1,000.00
Michaela Bryant
Patsy Ann Weaver Scholarship $4,500.00
Carmen Fernandez
Paul Wollam Memorial Scholarship $1,000.00
Hunter Vandertoll
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Red Guyer Athletic Scholarship $500.00
Barry Greenough
Rotary Club of Laguna Beach ‘Grapes for Grads’ Business $2,000.00
Scholarship
Colette Hammett
Rotary Club of Laguna Beach ‘Grapes for Grads’ STEM $2,000.00
Scholarship
Joshua Kramer
Rotary Club of Laguna Beach ‘Grapes for Grads’ STEM $4,700.00
Scholarship with Financial Need
Maya Clemons
Timothee Galmiche
Kirsten Landsiedel
Rotary Club of Laguna Beach Harry Bithell ‘Service Above Self’ $4,350.00
Scholarship
Thomas Gregory
Bayley Thomas
Rotary Club of Laguna Beach Student of the Month $4,700.00
Katya Cox-Kruger
Jake Dameshek
Nicole Davidson
Liam Duncan
Autumn Geil
Kirsten Landsiedel
Elijah Meisse
Grant Potratz
Yasmeen Tarazi
Olivia Vera
Rotary Club of Laguna Beach Youth Service Scholarship $6,000.00
Alexandria Hinmon
Madison Sinclair
Sawdust Visual Arts Scholarship(s) $5,000.00
Kendyl Brennan
Katya Cox-Kruger
Schools First Federal Credit Union Scholarship $500.00
Rosaria Morreale
Skipper Carrillo Scholarship $500.00
Annabella Baldridge
Soroptimist International of Laguna Beach – Alberta Patterson $2,000.00
Scholarship
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Paige Kesler
Kaden Matheson
Soroptimist International of Laguna Beach – Special Achievement $7,000.00
Awards
Annabella Baldridge
Maya Clemons
Hayley Hidalgo
Eva Johnson
Marissa Lee
Isabella Musiol
Madison Sinclair
Yasmeen Tarazi
Grace Wellsfry
Soroptimist International of Laguna Beach Violet Richardson $1,000.00
Award
Lillian Cook
Ten Boys Good Sportsman Scholarship $2,500.00
Will Kramer
Anika Pitz
The Roger Shew Memorial Scholarship $1,500.00
Elijah Meisse
Jack Smith
The Skipper Lynn Laguna Beach Seniors Scholarship $1,000.00
Madison Sinclair
TOW PTA Scholarship $1,000.00
Kenzie Wolff
Trade or Vocational School Achievement Award $5,000.00
Jake Mangus
Maxwell Woodburn
United States Military Academy Appointment $0.00
Bruce Knill
Village Laguna Annual Scholarship $1,000.00
Alexandria Hinmon
Walt Lawson Student Service Challenge Scholarship $500.00
Samantha Berk
Warren B. Blossom Memorial Golf Scholarship $500.00
Dante Madrigal
Emma Scott
William R. Stapleton Memorial Scholarship $850.00
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Connor Brashier
Winston and Dorothy Updegraff Memorial Scholarship $500.00
Madison Sinclair
Woman’s Club of Laguna Beach Scholarship $2,000.00
Katya Cox-Kruger
Grace Wellsfry
