Winners of 23rd annual Les Miller Outstanding Student Awards

MICHAEL GARDINER

School: Costa Mesa High

GPA: 4.45

Honors: Twice awarded most valuable player in soccer, eight varsity

letters, the Rensealer Medal and National Merit recipient

Activities: Soccer, baseball, football, golf and water polo; school

newspaper; and Habitat for Humanity

Future plans: UCLA, UC Berkeley or Dartmouth in the fall, majoring in

physics

MICHAEL LI

School: Costa Mesa High

GPA: 4.4

Honors: Reagent Scholarships to UC Irvine and UC Davis, President’s

Scholarship to Cal State Long Beach, AP Scholar, and academic pins and

letters

Activities: Arts and entertainment editor of Hitching Post newspaper,

junior varsity and varsity tennis, and Summer Science Institute of

Newport-Mesa Unified School District

Future plans: UC Irvine, majoring in general biology

JACKIE NEWTON

School: Costa Mesa High

GPA: 4.4

Honors: Ebell Club of Newport Beach Scholarship, Governor’s Scholar,

AP Scholar, valedictorian scholar; principal’s honor roll and honor wall

for four years

Activities: Co-founder and co-president of the Humorous Artists-Happy

Authors Club, president of Advocates for Student Rights, and

participating in the Academic Decathlon and Math Team

Future plans: Attend either USC, majoring in biomedical/mechanical

engineering and fine arts, or UC Riverside as a biomedical science major

SHIRLEY PENG

School: Costa Mesa High

GPA: 4.24

Honors: Honorary Kiwanian of Capistrano Valley Kiwanis Club, a Golden

State Scholar, CSF Seal Bearer, and Youth Representative for the League

of California Cities Conference

Activities: ASB senior class president, journalism photography editor

and news editor, Division 41 North lieutenant governor for the Key Club,

varsity swimming, water polo and tennis

Future plans: Attend either UCLA or Columbia University, with a premed

major and a minor in political science

JESSICA ARIAS

School: Estancia High

GPA: 3.89

Honors: California Scholarship Federation for four years, and best

actress award for her role as Emily Webb in “Our Town” at the 2002 CETA

festival

Activities: Drama department, Adopt-A-Family and Toys for Tots

Future plans: UC Berkeley, majoring in English and theater

ARLIS REYNOLDS

School: Estancia High

GPA: 4.29

Honors: First-Team All-League honors in soccer and volleyball,

National Merit commended student, AP Scholar with distinction, Bausch &

Lomb Award and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s honorary medal

Activities: President of Estancia’s CSF club, student representative

on the School Site Council, and four-year starter and team captain on the

varsity soccer and volleyball teams

Future plans: Harvey Mudd College, MIT or Rice University, studying

mechanical and electrical engineering

TAI THAI

School: Estancia High

GPA: 4.3

Honors: Stanford’s Quest Scholars Program diploma, AP Scholar with

Distinction and International Youth Caring for Others

Activities: Editor in chief of school newspaper, writer for Daily

Pilot, Academic Decathlon, president of both French and Book clubs, and

reporter for Key Club

Future plans: Harvard University, majoring in biology

ROLANDO VIVAR

School: Estancia High

GPA: 3.78

Honors: California Scholarship Federation for four years

Activities: Soccer for three years, two on the varsity team and

selected team captain last year, and basketball as a sophomore

Future plans: Orange Coast College in the fall, with plans to transfer

to Cal State Long Beach, majoring in mathematics

CHRISTOPHER R. CANDELARIA

School: Alternative Education Center

GPA: 3.68

Honors: Excelled in science, completed two semesters of ROP classes in

computer repair and has successfully completed Cisco 1 training,

receiving a final score of 99 from Cisco Systems

Activities: Longtime interest in electronics and computers

Future plans: DeVry University, obtain a bachelor’s degree in

telecommunication

TAYLOR B. HIRSCH

School: Alternative Education Center

GPA: 3.28

Honors: Accomplished swimmer

Activities: High school swim team for two semesters, Cancer Society

and volunteering

Future plans: Cal State Fullerton, majoring in theater arts

SHARRON S. PEREZ

School: Orange Coast College

GPA: OCC does not release grades

Honors: Honors program, Alpha Gamma Sigma and Phi Alpha Mu

Activities: President of the speech and debate team, reentry mentor

and marine science lab tutor, and volunteering at Shoreline Christian

School and Lampson Grove Day School

Future plans: Transfer to Chapman University or USC, majoring in

communications and continue studies in organizational leadership

GIOVANNIE B. SCARFONE

School: Orange Coast College

GPA: OCC does not release grades

Honors: Robert B. Moore Award for Outstanding Leadership and Paul

Mitchell Public Policy Scholarship

Activities: Student representative of the Student Services

Coordinating Council, speaker of Policy Committee and chair for

International Day Committee

Future plans: Degrees in business and law

MATT SWIFT

School: Vanguard University

GPA: 3.86

Honors: GSAC Scholar Athlete (2000 and 2001), NAIA All American

Scholar Athlete (2000 and 2001), dean’s list, and VUSC Athlete and

Presidential Award Scholarship for the last four years

Activities: Soccer team for four years, event staff and supervisor for

various athletic events, student athletic trainer for the men’s

basketball team, and volunteer at the Mother Theresa’s Home of the Dying

and Destitute

Future plans: Attend a physical therapy graduate school program at a

yet-to-be-determined college

BETH WEIDLER

School: Vanguard University

GPA: 3.65

Honors: Scholar athlete, member of the dean’s list for four years,

Athletic Advisory Council member, All-GSAC High Jumper, NAIA All-American

in cross-country and basketball for three years

Activities: Cross-country, basketball and track 1998 to 2000; captain

for cross-country and track 2000-02; work with Special Olympics for three

years

Future plans: Graduate education program at Vanguard

Orange Coast College Athletes of the Year

Donnie Murphy -- Baseball

Hit .360 in league, .425 overall. Only five errors in conference play.

First Team All League -- shortstop. Will be top five round draft pick in

June. Set school record with most hits in season (76 hits). Hit 13 home

runs and had team high in RBIs and home runs.

Michelle Icban -- Track and Field,

Cross-Country Conference Cross-Country Champion, Conference

Cross-Country “Athlete of the Year,” “All SoCal,” “All State”

Cross-Country, Conference track “Athlete of the Year,” Conference Track

Champion -- 5K, 10K. Southern California champion -- 10K (State

qualifier. Will run this weekend in Southern California)