Summerlin executives grant scholarships at Children’s Forum

Since 1997, Summerlin students, teachers and parents have been recognized for academic achievements and service at the annual Summerlin Children's Forum Evening of Excellence.

This year, more than 50 awards and two $5,000 scholarships were given to individuals representing Summerlin's 19 public and private schools during the May 12 event at Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa.

Scholarship recipients are Rachel Ferebee, a Summerlin resident and senior at Palo Verde High School, and Alyxandra Press, also a Palo Verde High School senior.

Carolyn Goodman, founder of The Meadows College Preparatory School -- the first facility and school in Summerlin, was recognized and honored as the 2007 Ambassador of Achievement.

Goodman co-founded and opened The Meadows School in 1984 to provide a top-notch college preparatory education.

Now in its 23rd year with more than 900 students, The Meadows is the only school in the state placing 100 percent of its graduates in four-year accredited universities and colleges, according to Goodman.

"Both Rachel and Alyxandra have demonstrated exceptionally strong academic performance accompanied by a long list of extracurricular activities and community service," said Tom Warden, vice president of community and government relations for The Howard Hughes Corp., developer of Summerlin, who also serves as president of the Summerlin Children's Forum executive board. "We're always impressed with students who are able to balance a variety of activities and pursuits while maintaining the highest academic standards."

Ferebee is heading this fall to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a university highly regarded for its engineering and science programs in Troy, N. Y. She plans to major in engineering with the hopes of working in the medical technology field.

With a weighted grade point average of 4.752 and a long list of advanced placement (AP) and honor classes, Ferebee is ranked in the top 3 percent of her class and has served as president of the Palo Verde science club and robotics team, for which she medaled at the Science Olympiad Competition.

An active community volunteer, Ferebee has performed hundreds of community service hours at Summerlin Hospital, her church and for a variety of community organizations through her membership in the Palo Verde Rotary Interact Club. She is also a member of National Honor Society in which she served as a peer tutor. In 2006, Ferebee worked as an intern in the Las Vegas office of U.S. Sen. John Ensign.

"Rachel Ferebee is one of the most motivated and talented performers in my Advanced Placement history and geography courses," said Patrick Vlaming, department chair of social studies at Palo Verde High School. "She is well respected by faculty and peers and is a well-rounded young woman."

Press, who is ranked number one in her class of more than 700 students at Palo Verde High School, plans to major in broadcast journalism and history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the fall. She has the distinction of earning a perfect 4.8 weighted Grade Point Average, the highest GPA possible in Clark County School District. An active community volunteer, Press has also provided hundreds of hours of service to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Las Vegas Rescue Mission and as a peer tutor for elementary, middle and high school students. A member of National Honor Society and Palo Verde Rotary Interact Club, Press was selected to participate in the Las Vegas Sun Youth Forum and served on the yearbook committee.

Press is described by Andrea Resnick, AP English language and composition teacher at Palo Verde High School, as one of the best students she has ever had the pleasure of teaching in her 28-year career. "Alyxandra is a shining example of what is great about her generation," Resnick said. "She possesses the right combination of priorities, dedication to academics and a desire to help her fellow human beings."

"The caliber of students found in Summerlin schools is a compliment to teachers and parents within the community," Warden said. "We are exceedingly proud of their accomplishments and are pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to their ongoing educational experiences."

The Summerlin Children's Forum was established in 1997 by community leaders and The Howard Hughes Corp. to improve the quality of education for Summerlin children and families. All Summerlin schools, both public and private, are eligible to participate in the Summerlin Children's Forum.

Developed by The Howard Hughes Corp., an affiliate of General Growth Properties, Inc. Summerlin began to take shape in 1990 and by 1992 ranked as the country's best-selling master-planned community, a distinction it held for a decade.

The 22,500-acre community is located along the western rim of the Las Vegas Valley and features an unparalleled number of amenities. With as many as 7,500 acres still to develop, including its urban core, Summerlin Centre, the community is currently home to more than 95,000 residents and encompasses more than 100 neighborhood and village parks, more than 150 completed miles of the Summerlin Trail System, 19 public and private schools, houses of worship, shopping centers, medical and cultural facilities, business parks and more than 80 model homes.

Homes are available in a variety of styles -- from single-family homes to townhomes, condominiums and lofts -- priced from the low $200,000s to more than $1 million. Custom home sites in The Ridges are priced from the $500,000s. Luxury apartment homes offer monthly rents starting from the low $1,000s.

For more information on the master-planned community, visit summerlin.com or call 791-4500.