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    News

    Exchange Club of Newport Harbor Awards More Than $63,000 in Educational Scholarships and Prizes to NMUSD Students
    Posted 6/13/22

    award winners at Victoria

    The Exchange Club of Newport Harbor announced the results of several awards programs benefiting Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) students. The oldest nonprofit service club in Newport Beach, the Exchange Club gives more than $63,000 annually to students in the District. 

    The high school students who receive the Accepting the Challenge of Excellence Award demonstrated the ability to not only overcome obstacles in their lives, but also move forward by making a positive change in their outlook and performance. The students recognized at a luncheon were Isabella Maez-Akins, Frances Daly, Silvestre Gonzalez, Valeria Sanchez Lopez, Christopher Navarro, Marco Ruiz and Ashley Stanwick of Back Bay and Monte Vista High Schools; Eric Thompson of Corona del Mar High School; Caitlyn Roum of Costa Mesa High School; Anabelle Pham of Early College High School; Maria Ceja-Ceja of Estancia High School; and William Yanez of Newport Harbor High School.

    winner at LincolnEach student received a $3,000 scholarship for a two- or four-year college or state-recognized technical institution. 

    Caitlyn will also receive an additional $2,500 scholarship as the California/Nevada District Exchange Club Winning Female Recipient.
    "What does America mean to you?" was the theme for this year’s Patriotic Art Contest. Thirty-one elementary students created artwork that was judged based on the originality of concept, presentation, patriotism expressed, how the content relates to patriotism, clarity of ideas and total impact. The following fifth-grade students from Kaiser Elementary School were recognized at the Exchange Club’s Field of Honor Youth Ceremony and at their school: Maya Baker, first place; Kylie Swegles, second place; Emily Sequeira, third place; and James Karjala, honorable mention.

    Elementary students from seven NMUSD schools wrote essays on "What Do You Think Makes a Good Citizen?” for the Young Citizenship Essay contest. The following first-place recipients each received a Kindle Fire: fifth-grader Chloe Olotu and sixth-grader Thalia Hogan of Adams Elementary; fourth-grader Estella Nguyen, fifth-grader Hibba Afridi and sixth-grader Zoe FitzSimmons of Cloud Campus; sixth-grader Kahlua Shockley of Lincoln Elementary; sixth-grader Tara Sharifzadeh of Newport Coast Elementary; fifth-grader Maddi Rassmussen of Sonora Elementary; fourth-grader Sebastian Gonzalez, fifth-grader Marisol Duffin and sixth-grader Christopher Cacho of Victoria Elementary; and sixth-grader Kit Harrington of Mariners Elementary. Wesley Foell, also a sixth-grader at Mariners, was awarded second-place honors. Kit was selected to read her essay at the Exchange Club’s Field of Honor Youth Ceremony on May 27.

    winners at MarinersThe Exchange Club’s Youth of the Year Award is presented to one male and one female student from four NMUSD comprehensive high schools. Receiving a plaque and a $3,000 scholarship are Alex Sunday and Francesca Disanto of Corona del Mar High School; Aiden Spallone and Emiko Grun of Costa Mesa High School; Lily Shandalove and Dane Dodge of Estancia High School; and Pete York and Maddie Malouf of Newport Harbor High School.

    NMUSD extends its congratulations to all the winners.