Chamber recognizes student scholarship

Danette Goulet

COSTA MESA -- They are our future doctors, lawyers, engineers and

possibly even presidents of the United States.

The upper echelon of high school academia in Costa Mesa gathered

Friday morning to be honored at the 22nd annual scholarship recognition

breakfast sponsored by the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce.

“Twenty-two years ago the chamber had the foresight to make education

a priority,” said Hank Panian, the lone surviving member of the committee

that started honoring students with the Les Miller Outstanding Student

Awards.

Sixteen seniors from Estancia and Costa Mesa high schools were

awarded, along with as two students each from the Alternative Education

Center, Orange Coast College and Vanguard University.

There were also two outstanding athletic awards given from OCC.

“When I heard there was going to be a breakfast, I was so excited

because we work really hard and it’s very nice to know people watch what

we’re doing,” said Elizabeth Gutman, 17, an honoree from Estancia. “It’s

just a great honor.”

While the best and the brightest from the graduating classes at Costa

Mesa’s high schools and colleges were being honored, the Newport-Mesa

Unified School District was cashing in.

The breakfast celebration was kicked off by the announcement of a

second $50,000 donation from the group of dealerships known as Harbor

Boulevard of Cars.

The first $50,000 check, delivered last October, will help the Costa

Mesa Athletics Foundation pay for an Olympic-size aquatic facility at

Costa Mesa High School.

This second check, part of their Dollars for Schools program which

organizers estimate will raise $200,000 a year, will fund two after

school programs, said Sonny Kapur, president of the dealership

association.

Half of the donation, $25,000, will help fund the Youth Achievers

program, a tutoring program for seventh- and eighth-grade students from

Costa Mesa High School. The other $25,000 will fund the Advancement Via

Individual Determination program at Newport Harbor High School.

Educators hope that with the help of programs like these, competition

will increase for the seats of honor at future scholarship breakfasts.