Madera County Cattlemen/Cattlewomen and Madera County Farm Bureau award recipient Courtney Sumaya-Herrera
OAKHURST — The theater was full, as was the stage, where nervously excited young people sat facing the audience of loved ones while their names were called during Community Awards, given to members of Yosemite High School Class of 2016 on Monday, May 8.
Principal Randy Seals 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. Seals said that more than $115,000 was pledged to these deserving Badgers, and pointed out that the community is making an investment in the future of the students.
YHS Scholarship Foundation chair Robert Brosi, DDS, congratulated the seniors and their families, and thanked the business community, the endowments and memorial scholarships that contribute to the annual event.
Local educator and counselor Barry Bartlett founded the Yosemite High School Scholarship Foundation in 1977.
Madera County School Board Association award recipient Katie Thompson
“We solicit donors at the end of fall,” explains the program coordinator, Jeanne Ratchford. “It seems that every year there are a few that drop off, and we always gain a few new awards. Some organizations, individuals or businesses go through the Foundation — a tax exempt non-profit 501c3 corporation — and others just give checks to the students on award night. Those that go through the foundation are claimed once at the beginning of the student’s first semester of college and the second half at the beginning of their second semester.”
The awards represent hard work and community support. They’re a big vote of confidence for the young people in their transition to the next stage of life — whatever that may be — for which they will always be grateful.
“I tell the students to always remember where they came from: a small town that cares about you and your future. We hope they remember how that makes them feel and that they will do it for someone else some day.”
Billy Vukovich III Memorial award recipients Julia Gillespie, Lauren Peterson, Emilie Jones, Riley Ashton
As the big night got underway, Dr. Brosi reminded students 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.
The following awards were made to these students:
49-Ears (Yosemite-Oakhurst-Sierra) Peter McLean
Adrian Buca DDS Academic Achievement Award Trevor Peter, Gillermo Ramirez
American Legion Post 110 Georgina Royse
American Legion Auxiliary Post 110 Peter McLean
Barbara Banich Memorial Trevor Peter
Barry Bartlett Service Award Kendra Tapia
Bass Lake Lions Club Caden McCoon, Dalin Haas, Elise Keeler, Gabriela Moreno-Rivas, Kourtney Allen, Victoria Bodine, Jericolouis Garcellano
Billy Vukovich III Memorial Julia Gillespie, Lauren Peterson, Emilie Jones, Riley Ashton
Billy Vukovich III Memorial (Auto Award) Keith Woodworth
Yosemite Youth Basketball award recipients Peter McLean and Trevor Peter
Buddy Cudd Memorial Victoria Rich, Joshua Jackson
Cabrillo Club Fresno Branch Victoria Bodine
Caring on Higher Ground Riley Ashton, Delaney Potter, Peter McLean
Central Valley Opportunity Center Gillermo Ramirez
Chowchilla Western Stampede Courtney Sumaya-Herrera
Coarsegold Chamber of Commerce Elise Keeler
Coarsegold Elementary School Riley Ashton, Joseph Campbell, Gabriela Rivas-Moreno, Laura Pearson
Eakin Peirsol Memorial Award Trevor Peter
Eakin Peirsol Memorial Award Victoria Raimondo
El Capitan Education Foundation Haden Bristow, Malaya Brown, Kevin Bulawsky, Isabel Luna Dienas, Emilie Jones, Orlando Martinez Macias, Victoria Raimondo, Sonya Smith, Saavannah Vega, Adam Van Zant
Grant Mercantile Agency award recipients Delaney Potter, Markuss Graham, Thomas Lazar
Emadco Disposal Recycle Award Chloe Pieper-Wasem
Eric and Virginia Seger Memorial Laura, Pearson, Tori Nelson, Sonya Smith
Fearless Ministry, Yosemite Lakes Community Church Victoria Bodine, Laura Pearson
Frank Logar Memorial Music Award Jamie Hellwig
From Indian Lakes Jamie Hellwig, Audrey Kenison
Future Veterinarian Award Lucina Montoya
Gerald A. Smith Memorial Samantha Dedekian, Dylan Thacker, Elyse Espe, Amber Esquivel-McGee
Giving Back Evan Mortan, Natalie Neff
Golden Chain Theatre Kelly Ravel
Frank Logar Memorial Music Award recipient Jamie Hellwig
Golden Hills Dental Riley Ashton Emilie Jones, Gillermo Ramirez
Grant Mercantile Agency Markuss Graham, Thomas Lazar, Delaney Potter
Hallmark Ornament Collectors Audrey Kenison
Heart of the Mountains Award Gabriel Ponce-Carson, Stephen Camarena
Ibrahim Kabbani Memorial Jamie Hellwig
Impression Award Jericolouis Garcellano
Indian Lakes Ladies Auxilary Lucina Montoya
Jeremy Carter Memorial Joseph Campbell, Katie Thompson, Chloe Pieper-Wasem
Jimmy Phillips Memorial Sabrina King
Ladies of the Lakes Jericolouis Garcellano, Jamie Hellwig, Victoria Bodine, Kaily Neal
Live Oak Associates Hannah Scott
Madera County Arts Council Jamie Hellwig
Madera County Cattlemen and Cattlewomen Courtney Sumaya-Herrera
Madera County Farm Bureau Courtney Sumaya-Herrera
Madera County Office of Education Academic Decathlon Brandon Healey
Madera County Retired Teachers Association award recipient Sabrina King
Madera County Retired Teachers Association Sabrina King
Madera Republican Women Federated Jericolouis Garcellano
Marine Corps League Griswold Mtn. Det.#1121 Victoria Bodine, Georgina Royse
Madera County School Board Association Katie Thompson
North Fork Faculty Club Ian Pincus, Haylee Renga
North Fork Women’s Club Haylee Renga
Oak Creek Intermediate School Dalin Haas, Caden McCoon, Lauren Peterson, Gillermo Ramirez, Katie Thompson, Adam Van Zant
Oakhurst Democratic Club Emilie Jones, Adam Van Zant
Oakhurst Elementary School Thomas Lazar
Oakhurst Sierra Noon Rotary Club Victoria Bodine, Isabel McGoldrick, Jericolouis Garcellano, Evan Morton, Katie Thompson, Gillermo Ramirez
Oakhurst Sierra Sunrise Rotary Club Elise Keeler, Evan Morton, Riley Ashton, Georgina Royse
Oakhurst Sierra Sunrise Rotary Club Interact Peter McLean
Heart of the Mountains award recipients Gabriel Ponce-Carson, Stephen Camarena
Our Lady of the Sierra Women’s Guild Jericolouis Garcellano, Jennifer Springer, Isabel Luna Duenas, Ryann Miller, Gillermo Ramirez, Gabriela Rivas-Moreno
Pines Civic Council – Tom Thomas Memorial Noah West, Peter McLean, Lauren Peterson
Positive Living Center Tori Nelson
Recycle Award Ian Pincus
River Creek Golf Course Georgina Royse
Rivergold Elementary Victoria Bodine, Kaily Neal
Rodney Peter DDS and Dennis Jones, DDS Gillermo Ramirez, Riley Ashton
Sierra Ambulance-Cathy Kern Memorial Lauren Peterson
Sierra Lions Club of Oakhurst Gillermo Ramirez, Jericolouis Garcellano, Evan Morton
Sierra Masonic Lodge #788 Evan Morton
Wasuma Elementary School Jennifer Springer
Sierra Meadows Men’s Golf Club Spencer Uzzell, Hailey Abrahams
Sierra Pines Men’s Ministry Kelly Ravel
Sierra Star Laura Pearson
Sierra Tel Riley Ashton, Dalin Haas, Brandon Healey, Peter McLean, Lauren Peterson
Sierra-Oakhurst Kiwanis Club Adam Van Zant, Brandon Healey, Gabriela Rivas-Moreno, Emilie Jones
Soroptimist International of The Sierras Rylie Sullivan, Katie Thompson, Caden McCoon
Sullivan’s Tire Pros Adam Van Zant
Swortzel Trust Kendra Tapia, Ethan McCully, Odessa Pusina
Tenaya Lodge Noah West, Katie Thompson
Travis Myers Memorial Courtney Sumaya-Herrera
Veterans of Foreign Wars Victoria Bodine
VFW Post #8473 award recipients Victoria Bodine and Delaney Potter
Veterans of Foreign Wars Delaney Potter
Vision Academy of the Arts Jamie Hellwig, Thomas Lazar, Katie Thompson
Wasuma Elementary School Jennifer Springer
Wilma Ely Memorial Chandler Clarke, Natalie Bates, Matthew Roberts
Yosemite Badger Youth Football and Cheer Julia Gillespie
Yosemite Bank Julia Gillespie
Yosemite Football Boosters Adam Van Zant
Yosemite Gateway Branch Fresno Association of Realtors Hailey Abrahams, Jennifer Springer, Jacob Rousivill
Yosemite High ASB Leadership Kaily Neal
Yosemite High FFA AG Boosters Courtney Sumaya-Herrera
Yosemite High School Theater Arts Elise Keeler
Yosemite Unified CSEA Chapter 698 Keith Woodworth
Yosemite Youth Basketball Association Trevor Peter
Yosemite Youth Basketball Association Peter McLean
Yosemite High Yearbook Dalin Haas
North Fork Elementary Faculty Club award recipients Hailey Renga, Ian Pincus
Ibrahim Kabbani Memorial award recipient Jamie Hellwig
Marine Corps League Griswold Mtn. Det.#1121 award recipients Victoria Bodine, Georgina Royse
Giving Back award recipients Evan Mortan, Natalie Neff
Coarsegold Chamber of Commerce award recipient Elise Keeler
Oakhurst Sierra Noon Rotary Club award recipients Victoria Bodine, Isabel McGoldrick, Jericolouis Garcellano, Evan Morton, Katie Thompson, Gillermo Ramirez
Barry Bartlett Service Award recipient Kendra Tapia
