Summerlin announces scholarships

Joshua Emig, Cody Schuster and Breanna Rubalcaba are recipients of the 2012 Summerlin Children's Forum scholarships.

Each recipient receives $4,000 from the nonprofit organization, which was established in 1997 by community leaders and The Howard Hughes Corp. to improve the quality of education for Summerlin children and families.

During its 15-year history, the Summerlin Children's Forum has funded scholarships, enrichment grants and special educational programs totaling more than $530,000. All of Summerlin's 26 public and private schools are eligible to participate in the Summerlin Children's Forum.

"The scholarships are a great way for us to recognize the many accomplishments of our students," said Randy Ecklund, executive director of the Summerlin Children's Forum. "And they have many accomplishments. We're very proud of our students and acknowledge the parents, school administrators and teachers who play a vital role in shaping the youth in our community."

Emig graduated first in his class of 601 with a weighted 4.8 grade point average from Rancho High School, where he participated in the school's aviation magnet program. As a high school student, he received an impressive American College Testing score placing him in the 99 percentile in Nevada, completed nearly 500 hours of community service and secured his private pilot's license. He's currently attending college at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in pursuit of an aerospace engineering degree.

"Engineers are simply technical problem-solvers who strive to make the world a better place by advancing society as a whole," he said.

Schuster graduated from Palo Verde High School with a weighted 4.775 GPA. He grew up in Summerlin, attending kindergarten through high school in the community he hopes to call home after college.

"Summerlin shaped who I am today," he said. "This is where I grew up and where I see myself after college."

He's attending college at the Dominican University in Chicago, studying pharmacology and playing baseball - a hobby he picked up in Summerlin as a youth on the Summerlin Little League.

Rubalcaba graduated from Bishop Gorman High School with a weighted 3.62 GPA. She's attending college at Colorado State University with the goal of becoming a physical therapist.

"This will allow me to integrate my educational interest with my desire to serve others," she said.

And service is something she's done well, according to her academic counselor, teachers and youth ministry director. She's logged dozens of volunteer hours for St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Roman Catholic Church, the Assistance League of Las Vegas, the Race for a Cure and athletic youth camps.

"We wish all our scholarship recipients well and look forward to hearing from them as they continue to excel at their respective universities," Ecklund said.

For more information on Summerlin, visit www.summerlin.com or www.facebook.com/summerlinlv.