CARMEL VALLEY - The Carmel Valley Community Park and Recreation Center will offer a college admission seminar this summer. The five-day sessions are designed for upcoming 12th-graders getting ready for the college admission process.

Topics to be covered include finding the "right fit" when looking for colleges, how to write a resume and highlight community service and extracurricular activities, writing essays and how to organize the senior year month by month.

The first session will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. June 18 through 22. The second session will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 6 through 10. Cost is $175 per session for residents of Carmel Valley and $195 for nonresidents.

Register at the Carmel Valley Community and Recreation Center, 3777 Townsgate Drive. For more information, call (858) 259-8006.

Del Mar resident honored

DEL MAR - Alexander Borgia of Del Mar has been accepted into the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. He will be honored during an induction convocation this fall at the University of San Diego, where he is a student. The society is the nation's only interdisciplinary honors organization for first- and second-year college students. Membership is by invitation only, based on grade point average and class standing. The organization has more than 550,000 lifetime members and 226 in 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

RBV student to attend conference

VISTA - Molly Maser, a junior at Rancho Buena Vista High School, will attend the Presidential Classroom's Law and Justice in a Democracy program June 24 through 30 in Washington, DC. Molly is RBV's junior class president.

The program is dedicated to challenging the leaders of tomorrow to learn, understand and take action on the formidable problems that face the nation and the world. For one week, outstanding high school students will take part in discussions with influential leaders and policy makers, visit national institutions, debate topics of importance, and interact with teachers, mentors and peers. They also will earn college credit through the University of Virginia for their participation.

Students graduate from Presidential Classroom with refined leadership skills and deeper understanding of politics, benefits that enhance their educational and career aspirations.

For nearly 40 years, more than 120,000 students from across the United States and around the world have attended Presidential Classroom's week-long programs, gaining knowledge, insight and experience from the unique educational opportunity.

Local resident earns scholarship

OCEANSIDE - U.S. Bank has named Ernest Walker of Oceanside as one of 30 high school seniors to receive a $1,000 U.S. Bank 2006-07 Internet Scholarship. He was selected from students throughout the country who applied for the 11th annual U.S. Bank Internet scholarship program sponsored by the U.S. Bank Student Banking division.

Walker, a graduate of Carlsbad High School, has participated in a variety of activities including track; his church youth group; and Carlsbad High's Interact club, African-American Mentor Group, Environmental Club, Jr. Brotherhood and Homes for Hope Club. He was named a Scholar Athlete in 2006 and was the junior keynote speaker at the NAACP Conference in San Diego.

The 2007-08 online scholarship application will be available in October on U.S. Bank's Web site, http://www.usbank.com/studentbanking. Applicants must be high school seniors planning to enroll full-time in an accredited two- or four-year college or university.

Hannalei students donate toys to pediatric patients

VISTA - Members of the newly formed Hannalei Elementary School Student Council recently announced the success of a toy drive and fundraiser to provide stuffed toys to pediatric patients at Tri-City Hospital.

The donations will be presented to hospital staff members at 1 p.m. June 7 in the hospital's assembly rooms.

The "You otter put a smile on a kid's face" toy drive represents the combined efforts of 10 student council members who spent two weeks collecting more than $200 in donations and more than 50 stuffed toys.

Student Council members Rita Baljian, Michelle Bernal, Teddy Blessing, Hazzy Coronado, Bella Copora, Mitchell Frame, Aneke Gleeson, Jennifer Olivera, Roxand Ramirez, and Chad Woolsey sold Otter Pops at their school carnival and solicited stuffed toy donations for the project. Teachers who assisted students included Tanya Critser, Peggy Field and Lindsay Hellman.

VHS alumnus earns master's degree

David Ortiz, a 2001 graduate of Vista High School and 2005 graduate of Loyola Marymount University, recently earned a master's degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University. This month, he will begin a career with Edison International as a design engineer.

Local residents earn degrees

Two local residents recently earned college degrees. They are: John Zimmer of Carlsbad, who earned a bachelor's degree in life sciences from the University of Portland in Portland, Ore.; and Kim McFarlane of Encinitas, who earned a bachelor's degree in nursing from Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Ind.

Student receives national honor

ENCINITAS - Justin Schaumburg, a student at San Dieguito Academy, recently was chosen for membership in the National Society of High School scholars. The society recognizes top scholars in the nation and invites only students who have achieved superior academic excellence. Membership in the society qualifies students to enjoy a variety of benefits, including scholarship opportunities, academic competitions, free events, members-only resources, publications and publicity honors.

Student Inspiration Awards given

SOLANA BEACH - The Solana Beach School District Board of Trustees recently gave Student Inspiration Awards to deserving students at the district's schools. Each spring, the board awards students in the following areas: fellowship, courage, self or academic improvement, effort, community service and leadership. The following students were awarded:

• Skyline School - Daisy Donoe, second grade, self or academic improvement; Shea Irwin, fourth grade, leadership; Hannah Dobson, fifth grade, fellowship; and Danielle Appleton and Amanda Cowles, sixth grade, community service.

• Solana Vista School - Sasha Lekse, kindergarten, fellowship; Tyler George, first grade, leadership; Katherine Buchholz, second grade, community service; and Isabela Arambula, third grade, effort.

• Solana Santa Fe School - Jack Creelman, kindergarten, courage; Chris Romano, first grade, leadership; Stephen May, second grade, fellowship; Jason Henderson, third grade, effort; Morgan King, fourth grade, community service; Katherine Ponder, fifth grade, fellowship; and Amir Farajitabrizi, leadership.

• Solana Highlands School - Max Mikulak, kindergarten, courage and effort; Isabelle Chow, first grade, fellowship; Amanda Ralph, second grade, self or academic improvement; Yoshua Leisorek, third grade, courage and effort; and Mohamad Hnaino, fourth grade, courage and effort.

• Carmel Creek School - Benjamin Burgener, kindergarten, effort; Rachel Lian, first grade, courage; Skylar Drapeay, second grade, effort, community service and leadership; Hannah Myers, third grade, fellowship; and Asher Rosenblatt, fourth grade, courage and leadership.

• Solana Pacific School - Josh Guicherit, fifth grade, fellowship; Erin Schmitt, fifth grade, self or academic improvement; Siena Ledger, sixth grade, effort; and Charlie Yang, sixth grade, leadership.

PHS to hold athletic physicals

POWAY - Poway High School will hold physicals June 12 for students planning to participate in athletics during the 2007-08 school year. Physicals will be given from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in the school gym. Cost is $20 paid at the door. For more information, call (858) 748-0245.

Sun Valley graduation set

RAMONA - Commencement exercises for graduating seniors at Sun Valley Charter High School will be held at 7 p.m. June 13 in the Charles R. Nunn Performing Arts Center, 1521 Hanson Lane. The public is invited. No tickets are needed. For more information, call (760) 788-8008.

Band Awards Night planned

POWAY - Poway High School will hold Band Awards Night at 7 p.m. June 15 in the Performing Arts Center on campus. Dinner will be served on the center patio before the event. Cost to adults and non-band students is $10. Band students will be admitted free. For more information, call (858) 748-0245.

Escondido resident makes dean's list

Taylor Bowman of Escondido earned a spot on the fall 2006 semester dean's list at the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Ky. Full-time students who have achieved a grade point average of at least 3.5 and have no incompletes are eligible for the list.

Choir students to be honored

POWAY - The 2007 Choir Awards Night will be held at 7 p.m. June 11 in Room K-1 at Poway High School. The ceremony is intended for all PHS choir students, their parents and friends. Light refreshments will be served, and the Die Lieder Singers and selected soloists will perform their graduation songs. Admission is free, but reservations are required by e-mailing ngray@powayusd.com.

Local resident a high honor student

Andrew Wolf of Escondido was recognized as a high honor student during the annual Honor's Day ceremony at the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Ky. High honor recognition is given to students attaining a 3.85 cumulative grade point average. Wolf is a history and political science major.

Escondido resident honored

Caroline Tall of Escondido, a student at the University of San Diego, was selected for Mortar Board, a national honor society that recognizes students for outstanding achievement in scholarship, leadership and service. A communications major, her long-range goal is to obtain a master's degree in journalism.

Mortar Board, founded in 1918, has more than 200 chapters across the country. Students are selected in their junior year and continue to serve the university and community through special projects as seniors.

The University of San Diego is a Catholic institution of higher learning chartered in 1949. The school enrolls approximately 7,500 students and is known for its commitment to teaching, the liberal arts, the formation of values and community service. Other academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences and the schools of Business Administration, Law, Leadership and Education Sciences, and Nursing and Health Science.

ROP students earn awards

POWAY - Regional Occupational Program students from Poway High School recently showcased their talents and picked up a few medals at this year's Skills USA California State Leadership and Skills Conference in Riverside. Daniel Rodriguez and John Patterson teamed up to win gold medals in the "mechatronic" category and a chance to compete in the upcoming national conference in Kansas City, Mo. Tyler Lanz brought home a silver medal in "diesel equipment technology," while Chris Pesqueira baked his way to a bronze medal in the "commercial baking" category.

Poway High's ROP program offers students hands-on experience in tuition-free courses including automobile technology, culinary arts and restaurant services, computer graphics, 3D computer animation and architectural design. The professional career development program is open to people 16 and older, and allows individuals to receive vocational and technical training, career counseling and placement instruction.

PHS student wins contest, attends state summit

POWAY - Poway High School junior Ruth Arbeit was selected a winner in the LegiSchool Project Essay Contest with the theme "Teens and Junk Food: Should Schools Have Limits?" She and nine other students from throughout the state participated in LegiSchool's annual Student Legislative Summit April 19 in Sacramento.

Valley Center High thespians chosen

VALLEY CENTER - Five Valley Center High School students recently were inducted into the International Thespian Society, an organization that honors high school and middle school excellence in theater arts. They are David Sichmeller, Jasmine Wattar, Samantha Carr, Katherine Washburn and Tyler Jiles.

Inductees had to acquire a minimum of 10 ITS points to be accepted into Valley Center's ITS troupe. Points were awarded to students for performing in plays, musicals, showcases or other theater-related activities.

The society was established in 1929 and has inducted thousands of students from the United States and outside the country.

Local girl to study in Japan

FALLBROOK - Melissa Felipe, currently a junior at Fallbrook High School, will be traveling to Japan this summer as an AFS exchange student. She departs June 23, will stay with a host family in Tokyo, and will attend a language school studying Japanese for about six weeks, returning to Fallbrook Aug. 4.

Melissa first learned about the AFS program from conversations with a friend who had attended an AFS presentation in her French class. Melissa was interested, and was able to get an AFS catalogue from her friend. From telephone calls to AFS and on-line inquiries she was able to work her way through the application process and learned that she would be accepted as an exchange student in the early part of this year. She has raised money for her trip from working at the Boys & Girls Club, from fundraisers such as raffles, and from solicitations to local businesses and charitable organizations. She also received support from the local AFS chapter and her parents.

Melissa lives with her mother and stepfather, Iselda and Jenaro Ramirez, and has a sister Luisa and brother Jenaro. She has traveled with her family to the East Coast, to Oregon and to Mexico. She says she loves to travel. Her favorite classes in school are history and art. She enjoys making sketches, and leads the Arts and Crafts activities at the Boys & Girls Club three afternoons a week.

She is fluent in Spanish and is currently studying American Sign Language. She has done some beginning study in Japanese using material she received from a tutor in her AVID class. She is looking forward to learning more about the Japanese language and culture.

AFS is an international nonprofit exchange program run by volunteers, and each year the United States sends and receives some 3,000 exchange students. Those who would like to know more about the program can look at the Web site www.afssandiego.org.

ROP programs being offered

FALLBROOK - Fallbrook Union High School's ROP (Regional Occupational Program) is offering free classes to anyone aged 16 and above. The following is the schedule for our summer offerings. All classes begin the week of June 18. For registration, come to the Career Center at the high school between the hours of 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. register on- line at www.quikreg.com.

The classes are:

• Computer Applications: 6 to 9 p.m Tuesdays and Thursdays.

• Medical Terminology: 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.

• Restaurant Occupations: 8 a.m. to 12:40 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

Wal-Mart rewards student recycling efforts

SAN DIEGO - Through its Kids Recycling Challenge program, Wal-Mart is awarding $51,775 to 151 San Diego-area schools for students' efforts to become responsible stewards of their environment. The company's Kids Recycling Challenge effort is the largest plastic bag recycling program of its kind ever undertaken. One of those is Bonsall Elementary School, which placed third overall, and, as a result, will receive $3,045.

Placing first and second were Lafayette Elementary School and Rolando Elementary, said Wal-Mart spokesman Bill Criswell. For the contest, between last September through March, elementary school students in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming were encouraged to bring plastic retail and grocery bags to their schools for recycling. For each 60-gallon collection bag filled with plastic bags and brought to a local Wal-Mart store, the school was awarded $5 from Wal-Mart.

Schools were grouped into geographic regions, and competed against other elementary schools in their region. The 10 schools in each region that brought in the most collection bags received additional cash grants from Wal-Mart: $3,000 for first place, $2,000 for second place, $1,000 for third place, and $250 each for fourth through 10th places.

The San Diego area was designated as one region, with schools in Imperial and San Diego counties competing against each other.

Collectively, 151 elementary schools in the San Diego region participated in the program, filling a total of 8,805 collection bags - weighing 140,880 pounds - and earning $51,775 in the process.

Final plant sale scheduled

FALLBROOK - The Fallbrook High School FFA will have its final plant sale of the year from 9 a.m. to noon June 9 in the ag area of the school campus, located east of the football stadium. The first plant sale of the 2007-08 school year will take place shortly after the new school year begins.

The new Environmental Horticulture class will have a primary focus on new plant projects as well as trying to establish drought-tolerant landscape plants. One-gallon cans are needed for the upcoming school year plant projects. People who can help should bring them to the final plant sale. People also are encouraged to see the FFA landscape at the San Diego County Fair.