Creme de le creme honored

Deirdre Newman

COSTA MESA -- Ashley Melgarejo participates in the Peer Assistance

Leadership program at Rea Elementary School, volunteers her time reading

to fourth-graders at lunch and tutors children in her neighborhood.

On Thursday, Ashley was honored as an outstanding student, along with

11 other elementary and middle school students in the Estancia High

School zone.

The Eagle Pride Foundation and the Kiwanis Club of Costa Mesa honored

the 12 students for their altruistic and academic efforts. The students

represent the cream of the crop, as they were selected out of all the

outstanding students who have been honored this year.

The foundation was formed to celebrate the diversity within the

Estancia community, said George Cote, the foundation’s president. One of

the goals of giving out the awards is to encourage youngsters to go to

Estancia High School, he said.

“Diversity needs to be emphasized because that’s what the whole world

is about,” Cote said.

This is the second year the foundation and club have doled out

outstanding-student awards.

Students say they enjoy basking in the attention that is showered upon

them after working so hard for their school and community.

“I feel kind of happy that I’m represented as an [outstanding

student],” said Ervin Herrera, a Rea fifth-grader. “My mom always

inspires me.”

And parents say the public pat on the back is a fulfilling reward for

their children’s impressive involvement.

“I feel wonderful because this is the second time she [has been]

recognized,” said Ashley’s mom, Angelina Romero. “I think her

[self-esteem] went up more.”

Estancia’s principal, Tom Antal, said he was moved seeing the

deserving students honored for their efforts.

“I sat there watching those children, and I literally had tears in my

eyes,” Antal said. “As a parent myself, I vicariously enjoyed that as

much as I would for my own children.”

Antal, who sits on the board of the foundation, said he would like to

expand the program to display the outstanding students at Estancia before

they enroll as “future eagles.”

* Deirdre Newman covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at o7 deirdre.newman@latimes.comf7 .