EDUCATION STANDOUTS
Luna Community College students Jessica Weber and Richard Trujillo took first and second place, respectively, at the Wolves Den Competition at New Mexico Tech in Socorro earlier this month. The Wolves Den, modeled after the television show Shark Tank, is an inventors and entrepreneurs competition.
Weber brought home $5,000 for winning first place, and Trujillo was awarded $3,500 for his runner-up position. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation sponsored the competition.
Weber’s idea was a fender well de-icer. Trujillo presented a squeeze-and-brush portable toothbrush.
Both Weber and Trujillo are graduating from the Luna STEM program this semester and will be attending New Mexico Tech in the fall. Weber is from Golondrinas and Trujillo is from Mora.
Maria L. Mares, a Pojoaque High School student from Española, recently was selected to become a member of the National Society of High School Scholars. The society recognizes top scholars who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, scholarship and community commitment.
On April 24, Elks Lodge 460 held its annual Outstanding Student Banquet, honoring top eighth-graders and high school seniors from Santa Fe. A record 29 students from 14 schools were in attendance. Parents and teachers from each school also were invited. Here is a list of the area students who were honored:
Aspen Community Magnet School: Eighth-graders Rachel King and Dmitri Montoya
El Camino Real Academy: Eighth-graders Yahaira Calderon and Angel Martinez Valazquez
Milagro Middle School: Eighth-graders Marisa Koroneos and Diego Montoya
Monte del Sol Charter School: Eighth-graders Ananya Mulakala and Evan Kluck; 12thgraders Lia K. Fukuda and Robert Anthony Borrego
New Mexico School for the Deaf: Eighth-graders Olivia Haley and Jesus Rios-Peña; 12th-graders Antonia Martinez and Vergena Chee
Ortiz Middle School: Eighthgraders Ingrid Luevano and Andy Morales
Santa Fe Indian School: Eighth-graders Natalia Chevez and Jace Trancosa; 12th-graders Iesha Pacheco and Tolaska Hunts Along
St. Michael’s High School: Eighth-graders Claire Patten and Daymon Lujan; 12thgraders Gillian McMahon and David Magnardot
Capital High School: 12thgraders Abigail Baca, Dominique Marano and Jordan Maes
Santa Fe High School: 12thgraders Andonica Baca-Martinez and Zach Russell
Santa Fe resident Trinity Le Aragon-Burton graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theater design and technology as a part of the spring Class of 2018.
Santa Fe High School student and Navy Junior ROTC member Nassau Garcia was presented with the Joseph C. Gilliam Academic Achievement/ Top Senior Award by Santa Fe Public Schools Superintendent Veronica García.
To be eligible for this award, a cadet must be a graduating senior with at least two years of NJROTC experience, an overall GPA of 3.5 or higher on a college preparatory curriculum track, must have earned the NJROTC Academic Ribbon and must write an essay.
Garcia is now competing against cadet nominees from 52 other schools in the area. She was selected as the award recipient out of the 53 total nominees.
This summer, Kagan Rowland, a student at the Santa Fe Preparatory School, will travel to the British Virgin Islands with Visions Service Adventures, an international community service program for teens. Rowland will join other high school students from around the world on the island of Virgin Gorda, where they will live in the community, get to know the local customs and traditions, and tackle ambitious service projects that demonstrate the power of teens working for change, according to a news release.
“Students arrive with the intent of contributing to underserved communities, and end up a part of that community,” says Katherine Dayton, executive director of visions. “They build relationships with other participants, mentors and community members, and step out of their comfort zones and into experiences that create lifelong impact.”
In the aftermath of one of the most destructive hurricane seasons in recent history, students on Virgin Gorda will join in the huge collective effort to rebuild and rehabilitate homes and community buildings on the island, the news release says.
In response to a call for help, The Food Depot distributed 3,912 pounds of food to Santa Fe Public Schools’ Adelante program on Wednesday, according to a news release.
The additional food was added to Adelante’s weekly food delivery and included additional fresh produce, eggs, dairy and bread.
Adelante had reached out to the community last week when its food pantry supplies were low.
Adelante is a partner nonprofit agency of The Food Depot, and provides wraparound services to homeless families in the Santa Fe Public School District.
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