Scholarships awarded for science, engineering, hospitality

Thirteen high school graduates from Southern Nevada were awarded $5,000 scholarships from National Security Technologies. The company awards scholarships to graduates who plan on pursuing careers in science and engineering.

Recipients of the National Security Technologies Engineering & Science Scholarship include: Timothy Paone of Centennial High School; Mary Medley, Seok Joon Hong, Edward Jamrog and Andrea Gadon of Clark High School; Matthew Polasko and Jenny Kim of Green Valley High School; Rachel Ferebee of Palo Verde High School; Johnson Ukken of Sierra Vista High School; Jenny Qi and Sara Nielson of Silverado High School; and Jeffrey B. Holley and Reynaldo W. Veloz of Pahrump Valley High School.

In other youth news:

* Four 2007 high school graduates were each awarded $10,000 scholarships from the Epicurean Charitable Foundation Las Vegas. The recipients were selected based on their academics and dedication to pursuing a career in the hospitality industry.

In addition to the scholarships, each recipient also receives a mentor provided by the foundation to offer guidance and support in their college careers.

The recipients are: Spring Valley High School graduate Catherine Caro; Las Vegas High School graduate Hanny Herrado; Cheyenne High School graduate Myra Aguirre; and Eldorado High School graduate Alona Rideout. Catherine will attend the Culinary Institute of America for a degree in culinary arts management. Hanny and Myra will major in hotel administration/operations at UNLV, and Alona will major in hotel administration -- food and beverage management and minor in culinary arts, also at UNLV.

* The Clark County Young Republican Foundation awarded Jacob Wagner, a graduate of Coronado High School, a $1,500 scholarship for his fall semester at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Laurie Erin Russell, a graduate of Reno High School, also was selected. Both recipients will receive an additional $1,500 for the spring if they maintain a 3.0 grade-point average and carry a minimum of 12 semester credits.

* The Clark County School District's U.S. Paralympic Academy begins its 2007-08 program at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at Garside Middle School, 300 S. Torrey Pines Drive. The academy introduces youths with physical and visual disabilities to paralympic sports including basketball, quad rugby, goal ball for the visually disabled and swimming.

Paralympic clinics are available for coaches and student athletes, who will have a chance to win a trip to the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China. The school district is among 20 sites in the United States hosting the Paralympic Academy Beijing.

For more information, visit www.usparalympics.org.

* Four young men from the Las Vegas Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America have recently become Eagle Scouts:

Mitchell Childs, 15, is the son of Michael and Kristin Childs. He is a member of Troop No. 624.

Andrew Hosea, 17, is the son of Rene and Tom Hosea. He is a member of Troop No. 99.

Caleb Oxborrow, 17, is the son of Tom and Cheryl Oxborrow. He is a member of Troop No. 269.

Kel Winder, 16, is the son of Gregory and Hoai-My Winder. He is a member of Troop No. 343.

If you know of a worthy candidate for this column, mail information to Youth Spotlight, Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125-0070, or send faxes to 383-4676.