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The following students personify these goals: Acalanes High School, Maristella Heo; Campolindo, Emma Bonardi; and Miramonte, Caroline Hoskins. Angela Garcia received the Saint Mary's College award. Each of the awardees searched for ways to connect with others during the pandemic. They launched many efforts in the Bay Area and encouraged others to join them.
Heo found solace in music, joined her church band, and brought comfort to others. As Editor in Chief of the Acalanes school newspaper, Blueprint, she kept the community informed on issues such as COVID and local fires. Bonardi tutored children in Oakland through the Aspire Education Community Reading Buddy program. She co-wrote a book "Jett the Spy: The Secret to Finding True Friends" and donated the book to the children in the program. As captain of Miramonte's water polo team, Hoskins encouraged team members to participate in volunteer programs such as Grateful Gatherings and Adopt a Family. Hoskins and her teammates helped families transitioning from homelessness or abuse programs by furnishing their apartment to create a welcoming place to call home. Garcia returned to her former high school Ygnacio Valley to assist the softball coach with the idea of enriching the program and serving as a role model to
student athletes. She tutors students through the Oakland Public Education Fund to help build the children's reading confidence.
In addition to these scholarships, middle school students who will be attending AAUW's Tech Trek program were introduced. The speaker for the event was Dr. Rosalie McGurk, a staff astronomer at the Keck Observatory, Hawaii.
Reach the reporter at:
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA