At the final Manhattan Beach Coordinating Council luncheon of the school year last week, the group awarded $24,000 in scholarships to six graduating Mira Costa High School seniors, who were selected from a pool of more than 200 applicants. The scholarships are funded through contributions from various for-profit and non-profit organizations, Coordinating Council luncheon raffles and other fundraising efforts.
“We are amazed at the caliber of these students and at what they have already accomplished,” said Jill Brunkhardt, Coordinating Council president. “It makes us feel the future is in good hands.”
More on the winners (courtesy of Lynne Gross):
Brittany Donaleshen – A strong interest in fashion is leading Brittany to use her scholarship at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. She has been a finalist on an MTV show about fashion and regularly makes videos about fashion that are shown on YouTube. In addition she has been a member of Nordstrom’s Fashion Board. Her other interests include soccer, track, and helping the homeless.
Taylor Lewis – Model United Nations and Friendship Circle are Taylor’s main passions. She was the Secretary-General who led the Mira Costa delegation members to the nation-wide student United Nations conferences where they received the Best Delegation trophy. As Friendship Circle president for two years, she has worked to brighten the lives of special needs children. The scholarship she won is underwritten by the Manhattan Beach Police Officers’ Association Officer Martin Ganz Memorial Fund.
Christina Regan – Having had summer jobs working in medical labs at USC and UCLA, Christina is already on her way to entering a career in medical research that she hopes will include Harvard medical school. She won first place in the Los Angeles County Science Fair and also helped bring medical relief to Haitian refugees. She has a 3.89 GPA, is president of the UNICEF Club, and participates in the high school water polo and swimming teams. Her scholarship is funded by the Phyllis Cohen Edwards Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Isaac Siegemund-Broka – With his 4.0 GPA and his interest in science, Isaac plans to major in biochemistry or neurobiology at Harvard so he can become an innovator in the field of biomedical research. He also has exceptional music talent. He is the principal clarinetist for the Westside Honor Band and as such performed at Disney Hall in a cultural exchange with musicians from China. He is the Mira Costa drum major and also part of the LA Phil Youth Orchestra Mentorship Program.
Jeremy Silva – As the Varsity Lacrosse team captain, Jeremy has been able to emphasize his main interests, which are sports and fitness. He also offers Free Peer Fitness, which encompasses training and nutritional counseling, and he has been a participant in Manhattan Beach Youth Basketball. In addition, he works hard on the academic side, maintaining a 3.8 GPA. He plans to attend the University of Tampa where he will major in kinesiology or athletic training.
Angelina Vollucci – Social work has been a strong suit for Angelina. She has undertaken many activities related to cancer research, inner city youth, and her church. She also has a 3.86 GPA and a number of academic and athletic awards. She plans to attend Loyola Marymount University to major in screenwriting and minor in psychology. She hopes to pursue a screenwriting career and have time to work in an OCD research clinic on the side.
