Summerlin Children’s Forum awards college scholarships

The Summerlin Children’s Forum (SCF), a nonprofit organization established in 1997 by leaders of the Summerlin master-planned community and its developer, Howard Hughes, recently awarded four college scholarships to outstanding high school graduates who are residents of the community.

Since 1997, SCF has funded more than $700,000 in scholarships, enrichment grants and special educational programs. The annual scholarship program is open to all graduating high school seniors who reside in Summerlin, regardless of where they attend high school.

“We look forward to awarding the Summerlin Children’s Forum scholarships every year to celebrate, not just the recipients, but all Summerlin high school seniors who are pursuing advanced education,” said Randy Ecklund, senior vice president and executive director, Summerlin Community Association Management. “Our scholarship recipients represent the very best from their respective schools for both academic achievement and commitment to community service, and they all have bright futures ahead of them.”

The first scholar is Ty Yamachika, a top 5 percent graduate of Palo Verde High School, who will attend University of Southern California to major in Global Health at the Keck School of Medicine before he plans to go onto medical school. Yamachika’s interest in medicine was sparked by his grandfather’s battle with cancer and an internship with Dr. Alan Ozaki. He has accumulated more than 165 hours as a volunteer in the emergency room at Summerlin Hospital Medical Center.

McKenna Jost, also a recent graduate of Palo Verde High School, will attend Wellesley College in the fall to study economics and political science. She hopes to one day use her skills as a lawyer to address community injustices, including homelessness, literacy and social mobility with the goal of strengthening local policies and legislation to improve quality of life for vulnerable populations. Jost graduated in the top 2 percent of her class at Palo Verde High School.

Joseph Sparks, also a graduate of Palo Verde High School, will attend the University of Nevada Reno in the fall to pursue a degree in secondary English education. Inspired by his father who taught high school English before staying home with the family while his mother practiced family medicine, Sparks has served as a volunteer at a local library, teaching children how to play chess and providing them with the basics of robotics. He graduates in the top 5 percent of his high school class and hopes to one day create customized learning programs for his future students.

Roxy Jones, valedictorian of Ed W. Clark High School and a graduate of its Academy of Math, Science and Applied Technology (AMSAT) program, will attend Yale University in the fall to study pre-medicine with the goal of becoming a neurologist. While excelling in school, Jones simultaneously worked two to three jobs, competed on the school’s Science Olympiad team, and played piano with the school orchestra.

Now, in its 35th year of development, Summerlin offers more amenities than any other Southern Nevada community. These include 300-plus parks of all sizes; 200-plus miles of interconnected trails; resident-exclusive community centers; 10 golf courses; 26 public, private and charter schools; a public library and performing arts center; Summerlin Hospital Medical Center; houses of worship representing a dozen different faiths; office parks; and neighborhood shopping centers. Downtown Summerlin offers fashion, dining, entertainment, Red Rock Resort and Class A office buildings. City National Arena is home of the Vegas Golden Knights National Hockey League practice facility. The Las Vegas Ballpark is a world-class Triple-A baseball stadium and home of the Las Vegas Aviators.

In total, Summerlin offers over 100 floor plans in nearly 20 neighborhoods throughout eight distinct villages and districts. Homes, built by many of the nation’s top homebuilders, are available in a variety of styles — from single-family homes to townhomes, priced from the $400,000s to more than $1 million. For information on all actively selling neighborhoods, visit Summerlin.com. Before you visit, call the builders to check hours of operation. Phone numbers for each neighborhood are on Summerlin.com.