OAKHURST — Parents, friends, teachers and the community at large gathered in the theater at Yosemite High School on Monday, May 13, to present awards to exemplary students in the graduating Class of 2019. It’s a big night filled with strong emotions, and it gets our local kids off to a really amazing start in their new lives after high school culminates.
Now celebrating its 41st year, the YHS Scholarship Foundation made a remarkable show of grace and giving, with over $111,000 awarded in scholarships. If you’re unfamiliar with this tradition, ask around — this is a way in which our area is unique. Other communities outside the foothills typically have nothing like this show of support.
Principal Regina Carr greeted the students and families, expressing appreciation for the citizen and community groups and individuals who are the generous donors making the yearly awards possible, and reminding graduates to “remember this night.” YHS Scholarship Foundation chair Robert Brosi, DDS, congratulated the seniors and their families, and thanked the business community as well as the endowments and memorial scholarships that contribute to the annual event.
Students were reminded that what matters is not the amount of money each would receive, it’s the amount of effort that goes into raising that money by each of the organizations and people who donate. In many cases, he said, fundraising goes on all year with one goal: this very special night of giving. In other instances, memorial awards are given out in remembrance of a loved one lost. For a variety of reasons, some of the awards come lightly seasoned with tears. Students were encouraged to put the money to good use, and with that, the evening was off to a great start.
Each of these students, as well as their families and educators, can be proud.
The following awards were made to these students, for a grand total of $111,412. Congratulations, one and all.
49 EARS (Yosemite-Oakhurst-Sierra) Ravi Neill
ACSA – Madera County Office of Education Ethan Conti
American Legion Post 110 Cale Sweeney
American Legion Auxiliary Post 110 Amber Persson
Barbara Banich Memorial Monique Ades
Barry Bartlett Service Award Kadin Mellon
Bass Lake Chamber of Commerce Paige Szabadi
Bass Lake Lions Club Jasmine Tanoury, Chloe Duke, Kyla Thomas, Amber Persson, Abigail Williams, Randi Johnson, Macy Bazzar, Grace Fries, Henry Curley, Dakota Klaproth, Amanda Truelove
Big Brothers and Sisters Kyla Thomas, Leslie Ramirez, Natalie Lawrence, Macy Bazzar
Billy Vukovich III Memorial Isabella Peter, Amber Persson, Emily Nowka, Christopher Ward, Kaylie Sullivan,
Buddy Cudd Memorial Victoria Arredondo
Camarena Health Monique Ades
Caring on Higher Ground Dakota Klaproth, Amanda Loveland
Chowchilla Western Stampede Natalie Lawrence
CHP Oakhurst Senior Volunteer Program 456 Kacadi Padovich, Randi Johnson
Coarsegold Chamber of Commerce Jordyn Jackson, Paige Szabadi
Coarsegold Elementary School PTO Alicia Caywood, Cindra Jimenez, Amanda Loveland, Paige Szabadi, Trenton Ford
Coarsegold Gold Prospector’s Association Emily Nowka
Eakin Peirsol Memorial Award Alyssa Airey, Hannah Myatt, Kamyron Ramirez, Ashley Tune, Victoria Arredondo,
El Capitan Education Foundation Victoria Rosales Valdez, Cindra Jimenez, Zadie Cacho, Vatsal Mistry
Emadco Disposal Recycle Award Christopher Ward, Monique Ades, Kadin Mellon, Natalie Lawrence,
Eric & Virginia Seger Memorial Meagan Rich, Kelsie Wasem, Claire Weigel
Fearless Ministry, Yosemite Lakes Community Church Leslie Ramirez
From Indian Lakes Cedar Dobson
George Walden Memorial Ashley Tune, Tyler Hellwig
Gerald A. Smith Memorial Kaya Estela, Amanda Gutierrez, Gabriel Reynoso, Haley Hammond, Alyssa Contreras Lovell, Brandi Sneed
Golden Chain Theatre – MaryLou Finley Memorial Performing Arts Award Amber Persson
Golden Hills Dental Amber Persson, Amanda Loveland
Grant Mercantile Agency Trenton Ford, Alaura Ferris
Heart of the Mountains Francie Gonzales
Ibrahim Kabbani Memorial Haley Hammond, Cedar Dobson,
Impression Award (Ordway) money from PG&E Lillian Dickmeyer, Leslie Maria Ramirez
Indian Lakes Ladies Auxiliary Bailey Hullander
Jeremy Carter Memorial Dylan Allen (5/2018), Bailey Hullender, Hunter Palmer
Jimmy Phillips Memorial Christopher Ward
Live Oak Associates Tyler Morgan
Madera County Office of Education Academic Decathlon Lillian Dickmeyer
Madera County Retired Teachers Assoc. Grace Fries
Madera Republican Women Federated Amber Persson
Marine Corps League Griswold Mtn. Det.#1121 Alaura Ferris, Chloe Duke
North Fork Lions Club Trinity Curtis, Amber Persson
North Fork Faculty Club Amber Persson, Trinity Curtis, Chloe Duke
North Fork Women’s Club Chloe Duke
Oak Creek Intermediate School Ethan Conti, Grace Fries, Randi Johnson, Natalie Lawrence, Linnea Leinau, Isabella Peter, Leslie Ramirez
Oakhurst Democratic Club – Eleanor Roosevelt Service Award Amanda Truelove, Ravi Neill, Sophia McGoldrick
Oakhurst Elementary School Christopher Ward
Oakhurst Sierra Noon Rotary Club Paige Szabadi, Henry Curley, Cale Sweeney, Isabella Peter, Sophia McGoldrick, Monique Ades, Addison McCully, Amber Persson
Oakhurst Sierra Sunrise Rotary Club INTERACT Monique Ades, Natalie Lawrence, Amanda Truelove, Grace Fries, Jasmine Tanoury,
Our Lady of the Sierra Women’s Guild Leslie Ramirez, Macy Bazzar,
Positive Living Center Kailey Garcia
Ray Jones Scholarship Fund Cindra Jimenez
Raymond Community Association Cassidy Cook, Joseph Dudley
Recycle Award Randi Johnson
Ricker (Blake) Memorial Dalton Smith
Special Ricker Award Ellen Rosasco
Ricker (Nick) Memorial Emily Nowka
River Creek Golf Course Dylan Allen
Rivergold Leadership Tyler Hellwig
Rodney Peter DDS Grace Fries, Natalie Lawrence,
Shania Faith Costella Memorial Trinity Curtis, Tyler Morgan, Christopher Ward
Sierra Ambulance – Cathy Kern Memorial Monique Ades
Sierra Lions Achievement Award Chloe Duke, Dakota Klaproth, Alicia Claywood
Sierra Masonic Lodge #788 Kailey Garcia
Sierra Meadows Men’s Golf Club Trinity Curtis,
Sierra-Oakhurst Kiwanis Club Kaylie Sullivan,
Sierra Summer Russell Memorial Henry Curley
Sierra Tel Monique Ades, Linnea Leinau, Amber Persson, Dalton Smith, Cale Sweeney
Soroptimist International of The Sierras Chloe Duke, Claire Weigel
Swortzel Trust Tehya Abrahams, Christian Blomgren, Marlie Kelsey
Tavis Corporation Linnea Leinau
Tenaya Lodge Victoria Rosales Valdez, Sayda Taylor
Travis Myers Memorial Joseph Dudley, Alyssa Contreras Lovell
Veterans of Foreign Wars Chloe Duke,
Veterans of Foreign Wars Jordyn Jackson, Ravi Neill
Vision Academy of the Arts Ravi Neill, Cedar Dobson
Wasuma Elementary School Lillian Dickmeyer, Kadin Mellon
Wilma Ely Memorial Ryan O’Meara, Lillian Dickmeyer
Yosemite Bank Amanda Truelove,
Yosemite Badger Youth Football & Cheer Dylan Allen, Sage Crosswhite, Hannah Myatt
Yosemite Baseball Boosters Christopher Ward, Sage Crosswhite
Yosemite Football Boosters Ryan O’Meara, Dylan Allen
Yosemite Gateway Branch, Fresno Association of Realtors Amber Persson, Tyler Hellwig, Ethan Conti, Dakota Klaproth
Yosemite High ASB Leadership Paige Szabadi
Yosemite High FFA AG Boosters Joseph Dudley, Alyssa Contreras Lovell
Yosemite Unified CSEA Chapter 698 Hunter Palmer, Ravi Neill
Yosemite Youth Basketball Association Dylan Allen, Linnea Leinau, Grace Fries
Congratulations and best wishes to all the award recipients!
