CARMEL HIGH SENIORS, CLASS OF 2017, RECEIVE OVER $250,000 IN LOCAL COMMUNITY SCHOLARSHIPS AT ANNUAL AWARDS NIGHT

Members of the Carmel High School Class of 2017 have received approximately $253,000 in scholarships from a large variety of generous local donors.

At the Senior Scholarship and Recognition Night, held May 22 in the school’s Performing Arts Center, a total of 45 different organizations, clubs, religious institutions, individuals and others presented the honored seniors with amounts ranging from hundreds to many thousands of dollars for their college and university educations.  Many seniors received multiple scholarships. 

The evening was under the direction of Carmel High Principal Rick Lopez, Patricia Hunt, who is the coordinator of the school’s College & Career Center, and Michele Pollock, who is the school’s Scholarship Committee treasurer. Not included in that $253,000 figure are institutional scholarships that seniors received directly from colleges and universities that admitted them, estimated to be a total of at least $4.5 million.  Also not included was the U.S. Naval Academy scholarship that was awarded to Connor Suess.  This appointment includes the total cost of tuition, room and board, all books and a monthly stipend.

The Carmel High School Foundation (CHSF), founded in 2004, is working hard to increase its endowment and manages the Carmel High School scholarship funds.  CHSF is a state public benefit corporation with an IRS approved 501(c) 3 tax-exempt status.  The Carmel High School Committee awarded scholarships in amounts ranging from $1,000 to $2,000 for a total of $27,200 to seniors. 

Among the major donors were:

Carmel Masonic Lodge, Carmel-by-the-Sea Rotary Club, CHS Class of 1951, Carmel Valley Kiwanis Club, First United Methodist Church of Pacific Grove, Carmel Valley Women’s Club Foundation, Booney Covell Memorial, Carmel Residents Association, Monterey Audubon Society, First United Methodist Church of Pacific Grove, Kristopher Pallastrini Memorial Foundation, Keenan Tyler Lucero Memorial Scholarship, the Family of Marc Stefan, Robert P. Balles, CHS Class of 1952, Monterey Peninsula College Foundation, Monterey County Association of Realtors, Rotary Club of Carmel Valley, the Yellow Brick Road Benefit Shop, the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Northern California Scholarship Federation, Pebble Beach Corporation, Hellenic Cultural Institute, Gordon Nakagawa Memorial, Congregation Beth Israel, the family of Robert Hattori Nakagawa, the family of Kent Wehde, CHS Class of 1996, Hendricks-Dormody family, Dr. Roger and Kate Bartels Memorial, and Dr. Gladys M. Olvis.

Thirteen seniors were recognized as Class of 2017 Valedictorians: Marli Allard, John Brewer, Madeleine Fontenay, Leonardo Gonzalez-Smith, Jeffrey Jiang, Henry Kou, Abby Lambert, Ryan Lin, Matthew Luch, Evan Patel, Melissa Pavloff, Christiana Smith and Connor Suess. Selection criteria for valedictorians required at least 13 honors and AP classes and straight “A” grades in every class for the entire four years.

A total of 56 members of the senior class received California Scholastic Federation Lifetime Honors Awards in honor of their high academic records.

Operating independently of the Carmel Unified School District, CHSF raises money that supplements but does not replace tax dollars.  It is funded through generous community support and works to build strong, sustainable relationships with donors and program sponsors.  It recently completed a successful Matching Gift Drive and was able to nearly double the scholarship fund.

The CHSF is looking for additional donors, including estate gifting, to endow scholarships for deserving seniors and has various endowment gift levels. Donations to the CHSF may be made at www.CarmelHighSchoolFoundation.org.  

Carmel High students and teachers deliver groceries to classmates' families south of the Pfeiffer Canyon in Big Sur.

Carmel High teachers Leigh Cambra (Health), Bridget Randazzo (Spanish), and senior Caroline Mierzwa have created a program to deliver groceries to families in need. So far, they’ve collected over $1000 in donations.

Carmel High School student Chantal Gonzalez took the initiative to seek out her neighbors who live south of the Pfeiffer Canyon—where the bridge has been out for months—to see what they needed. Then Leigh, Bridget, and ASB Secretary Tammy Waldman purchased all the items, organized and bagged them up and went on their way to Big Sur on Thursday, April 20. They were joined on the trip by students Caroline Mierzwa, Diego Cabrera, Diego Salinas, Katya Fredericksen, Hailey Rowe, Coral Barrett, Alex Myers, Julia Kurz, and Nick Haws, as well as staff members Diana Vita, Patricia Hunt, and Shannon Rains

The group hiked the half-mile trail  that zig zags up the side of Pfeiffer Hill, elevating 500 feet, loaded down with gallons of milk, beans, rice, eggs, diapers, juice, and more. At the head of the trail, they met up with the families at the post office, who were very happy to have the fresh food. 

The group has enough donations to do a few more deliveries and is tentatively scheduling the next delivery for Thursday, May 4. 

Hats off to this community-service-minded team of CHS students and staff!

CUSD Connection - Fall 2016 Newsletter 
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Public Notice: Disposal of Chromebooks

The Carmel Unified School District intends to donate approximately 140 used Samsung 303C Chromebooks to needy district students or other entities that qualify for such a donation, including another district, county free library, or other state institution; a United States public agency or institution;  a nonprofit charitable organization; or children or adults in California or foreign countries for the purpose of increasing the general literacy of the people. Representatives of those entities and members of the public are notified of the opportunity to address the Board regarding the distribution of these materials. These Chromebooks are four years old have been heavily used daily at school and at home by students throughout that period. The devices are in working order, but In many cases will have noticeable damage such as scratched cases, cracked screens, and missing keys. Please contact Paul Behan, Chief Technology Officer at pbehan@carmelunified.org.

Read about the New Staff of CUSD - 2016

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