Earning honors in the classroom

Marisa O’Neil

The Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce on Friday honored high school and

college students, academic achievers and winning athletes at their

annual scholarship recognition breakfast.

Principals from each school read out the students’ long lists of

achievements, which kept the students so busy, they don’t have time

to get into trouble, Costa Mesa High School Principal Fred Navarro

joked.

“These students are so motivated and so well-disciplined, they

never come into my office,” Navarro said. “Unless it’s to sign a

scholarship.”

In their 25th year, the awards honor students from Estancia, Costa

Mesa, Monte Vista and Back Bay high schools, Orange Coast College and

Vanguard University.

School administrators selected a total of 14 students for the Les

Miller Outstanding Student Awards, named for Costa Mesa High School’s

first principal. Money from local sponsors went toward the

scholarships of $250 each.

With grade-point averages hovering around 4.0, and sometimes

above, the students still found time in their high school careers to

participate in campus activities ranging from the tennis team to the

Simpsons Club. Estancia High School senior Nicholas Koreerat even

managed to chalk up 2,900 hours of community service.

“I think he’ll meet the graduation requirement [of 40 hours],”

Principal Tom Antol said.

Stacie Nellor, also from Estancia High School, was on honor roll

all four years of high school, vice president of the creative writing

team and traveled to Italy as an exchange student. She credited her

parents for her success.

“They’ve always encouraged me to do my best,” she said.

Orange Coast College Student Dixie McCorkindale, 60, drives 68

miles each way from San Bernardino to take classes. She was born in

Orange County and her grandparents are buried here.

She holds an earthwork and paving contractor’s license, but

decided to change careers after her husband died. OCC was her first

choice when she decided she wanted to work as a speech pathologist

assistant.

“I wanted to attend the best [college],” McCorkindale said. “I

wanted to be more employable.”

Vanguard University’s Athletes of the Year included international

students Olga Hlushchanka and Mikael Larsson. Hlushchanka, from

Belarus, had a 29-1 record on the tennis team and Swedish native

Larsson won regional honors for the school’s track and field team.

A total of six students from OCC and Vanguard received $100 each

for school.

Two Estancia students -- Jason Les and Britta Pitti -- also earned

internships with the Mesa Consolidated Water District.