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Rotary awards $105,000 in scholarships

The Rotary Club of Menlo Park celebrated local scholars May 9 during ceremonies at Menlo-Atherton High School's Performing Arts Center, where 26 graduating seniors received $105,000 in scholarships.

More than 100 high school students also attended and received scholastic achievement awards after being selected for the honor by their high school. Students from Eastside College Preparatory, Sacred Heart Preparatory, Menlo School, Mid-Peninsula High School, and Menlo-Atherton High School received awards and scholarships.

The scholastic awards were handed out by school principals and headmasters as parents, friends and fellow students looked on at the Performing Arts Center. The ceremony was preceded by a rousing address from retired Superior Court Judge LaDoris H. Cordell, who told the students they are the best and the brightest and challenged them to "pay it forward" by helping others achieve success.

Rotary Club president Eric Hartwig and Rotary Club Foundation president Glen Rojas handed out the scholarships, and Michelle Tsui presented her family's math and science scholarship, awarded every year to a top-performing young woman.

Here are the recipients of this year's Rotary Club of Menlo Park scholarship awards:

• Tsui/Tsian Family Math and Science Scholarship ($5,000) to Kimball Anne Cody, Sacred Heart, who plans to attend Stanford.

• Judge John D. Russell Scholarship ($9,000), Moneel M. Chand, Eastside Prep, UCLA.

• Robert G. Paroli Family Scholarship ($8,000), Estefania Avila, Menlo School, MIT.

• Flegel Family Scholarship ($8,000), Sara Nicole Jacobs, Sacred Heart, undeclared.

• Doris and Orm Rector Scholarship ($8,000) Maya Combs, Sacred Heart, Loyola Marymount.

• Ed Mintz Scholarship ($5,000) Isabella Mei Wa Colosso, UC Berkeley.

• Crittenden Family Scholarship, ($5,000) Carina Bustos, Eastside Prep, Occidental.

• Business and Professional Scholarship, ($5,000) Isamar Moya, Eastside Prep, Connecticut.

• Menlo Park Rotary Foundation Scholarships ($5,000 each): Joseph Buchanan Wise, Sacred Heart, Loyola Marymount; Vivien V. Jones, Menlo-Atherton, undeclared; Laurin Yuri Noguchi, Menlo-Atherton, undeclared; Haley V. Fowler, Eastside Prep, Weslyan; Roshana Ta'na Smith, Eastside Prep, Mt. Holyoke; Alexis M. Keller, undeclared; Jennifer A. Neider, Menlo-Atherton, UCSC.

• Drue Kataoka Arts Scholarship, ($2,000): Sofia Gutierrez-Dewar.

• Community College Scholarships, Tom Borden Grant ($2,000): Justin Genevro, Katie Rojas, Araceli Lombera, Priyanka Anandita and Alma Argueta.

• Rotary Club Foundation Award, ($1,000): Wendy Buendia, Nicholas Mendola-Poole, Ana Mendina, Laura Mayen and Jamisse Payne.