ACADEMIC ALL-STARS

They’ve made their four years of high school count. They’ve

volunteered, they’ve studied, they’ve excelled. They’ve spent hours on

the track, in the music room and in the lab. They’re Newport Beach’s top

high school seniors.

As they prepare to finish their high school careers, the Daily Pilot

acknowledges their contributions to their campuses and community.

The city’s top 30 seniors -- 15 each from Corona del Mar and Newport

Harbor high schools -- will be honored this morning with the Newport

Harbor Area Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Awards. The celebratory

breakfast takes place at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club.

The following showcases just a piece of what these students have

accomplished and what awaits them.

CORONA DEL MAR HIGH SCHOOL

CASSANDRA ANIDO

Activities: Orchesis Dance Team, water polo, diving, track,

cheerleading, volunteer for the Assistance League of Newport-Mesa.

Honors: National Hispanic Recognition Program Finalist, Venture’s

Scholar, Who’s Who Among American High School Students, Most Valuable JV

water polo and track, most dedicated to cheerleading and Orchesis.

JENNIFER CUMMINS

Activities: varsity track captain, varsity cross country captain, vice

president of the food club, volunteer at Hemo-Pet Greyhound Rescue and

Fran Joswick Therapeutic Riding Center.

Honors: CIF State Championship Sportsmanship Medal, National Merit

Commended Scholar, AP Scholar with honors, Academic Letter, Daily Pilot

Athlete of the Week, MVP cross country runner.

NATALIA DORFMAN

Activities: Varsity soccer, track and cross country, co-president and

founder of the Food Club, Make a Wish volunteer.

Honors: Who’s Who Among American High School Students, National

Hispanic Recognition Program finalist, high honor roll each semester, AP

Scholar with honors, Academic Letter.

DIANA HOSSFELD

Activities: Varsity cross country letterman and team captain, varsity

track, Youth and Government Club, Spanish Club and Food Club,

corresponding secretary of the Assistance League.

Honors: Academic Letter, California Scholarship Federation, First

Alternate Girls State, Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week, Most Improved

Cross Country and Track, All County Senior Girl.

LAURA KNEZEVIC

Activities: Youth and Government Club, Cross Country and Track,

University Program for High School Scholars, played the flute for eight

years, Sunday school teacher, leader of church songs, church leader.

Honors: Academic Letter, Girl’s State Nominee, AP Scholar, varsity

letter, AP U.S. History high honors award.

JULIA LEE

Activities: Key Club president, Red Cross Club, Latin Club, global

news editor of the school paper, yearbook, Hoag Hospital Jr. Auxiliary

Organization president, Newport Beach Young Adult Advisory Council.

Honors: AP Scholar, scholastic honors for outstanding achievement in

Latin, National Merit Finalist, World Art International Exhibition

Contest, Certificate of Merit in Piano.

RALPH LEE

Activities: Sports and back page editor of the school newspaper, YMCA

Youth and Government Club, California Junior Classical League, UC Irvine

yearbook staff photographer, mock trial, crew team, Key Club, Investment

Club, Boy Scout Troop 746, Jr. Assistant Scoutmaster.

Honors: AP Scholar, Academic Letter, Latin Book Award, National Merit

Commendation, UC Irvine Undergraduate Program for High School Scholars.

JOSH LUDMIR

Activities: Editor in chief of the school newspaper, founder and

president of Club Shalom, peer counselor, commissioner of activities for

Associated Student Body, varsity crew team, volunteer at Share Ourselves,

president of the South Orange County Chapter of the National Federation

of Temple Youth.

Honors: National Hispanic Recognition Scholar Finalist, National Merit

Commended Scholar, AP Scholar, Bausch and Lamb Science Award, Maurice

Sherman Award, PTA Award for Outstanding Cultural Leadership, Academic

Letter.

LAUREN MIROWITZ

Activities: Club Shalom treasurer, vice president and co-president,

cross country, speech team, volunteer at Girls Inc.

Honors: National Merit Commended Scholar, two-time most improved

runner, academic letter, scholar athlete.

IMOLA OSAPAY

Activities: French Club, band, tennis team, 115 hours of volunteer

work.

Honors: AP high scholar, academic letter

HARP PEKIN

Activities: Mock trial, Latin club vice president, Junior Statesmen of

America, jazz band, drama, Investment Club, Science Club, Club Shalom,

Improvisational Comedy Club, Foreign Arts Club, Make A Wish Foundation,

Oasis Senior Center, water polo, Little League, Beach Cleanup, Iron Man,

Elks Lodge hoop shoot.

Honors: National Merit Commended Scholar, AP scholar, Sea King Pride

Award, Latin Oratory Award, Golden State Exam honors in geometry,

recognition in algebra, International Thespian Society, California

Scholarship Federation.

KARL SNYDER

Activities: Varsity tennis team, math and chemistry tutor for INVEST,

Academic Mentoring Program, Spanish tutor, varsity cross country,

Premedical club, Spanish club, soccer team, Letterman’s club, hospital

volunteer, library volunteer, altar server, soup kitchen volunteer.

Honors: Class rank of No. 1 freshman through junior years, National

Merit Scholar Semifinalist, National Honor Society, AP Scholar,

California Scholastic Federation Honors, Spanish Tutoring Recognition,

Excellence in Calculus, Latin American History and Spanish Awards, high

honor roll recognition every quarter.

ANTHONY TRANKIEM

Activities: Wrestling team captain, chess club president, rowing

varsity, Mole in the Wall Gang, Corona del Mar wrestling clinic.

Honors: AP Scholar, U.S. History Highest Honors, Golden State honors

in algebra and geometry, Southwest Regional Finalist, CSF Recognized

standout.

MICHAEL WANG

Activities: Investment Club president, Red Cross Club treasurer,

varsity crew, Race for the Cure, Spirit Run, volunteer for Serving People

in Need and Environmental Nature Center.

Honors: University Program for High School Scholars, AP Scholar,

Academic Letter, Outstanding Leadership and Achievement in the Investment

Club.

LINDSEY YOURMAN

Activities: Varsity cross country and track captain, Spanish Club

president (started pen pal program), vice president of Youth and

Government, completed levels 1 through 9 of the certificate of merit

state piano competition, founding president of the Magic Shoe Club,

assistant track coach for junior high, youth counselor at YMCA, vacation

bible school and Mexicali youth counselor.

Honors: California Girls State Delegate, Rensselaer Scholarship for

Math and Science, top Spanish student 2000, qualified for the honors

recital and state convention in piano, MVP coach’s award and

sportsmanship medal, Daughters of the American Revolution Citizenship

Award and Gene Autry Humanitarian Award.

NEWPORT HARBOR HIGH SCHOOL

ANDREA BRYAN

Activities: Students and Adults Reading Together Program, marching

band, jazz band, salsa band, junior varsity cross country, assistant

activities coordinator at Sunflower Gardens Alzheimer’s Center, flute

choir.

Honors: World finalist in Odyssey of the Mind, honor roll, Who’s Who

Among American High School Students, Flute Solo Honor Rating I, first

place in word problems at Math Field Day, first place Navy/Marine Corps

distinguished Science and Engineering Fair, Flute Trio Honor Rating I,

first place Physics Science Fair.

ANDREW CURIEL

Activities: Co-president of the Model United Nations, DaVinci Academy,

National Honor Society, varsity crew, Newport Aquatic Center, Advisory

Committee of Teens.

Honors: California Scholarship Federation, Earthquake Institute

Education Awards Program, AP Scholar, Academic Letter and Pin.

HARMONY DAVIS

Activities: California Scholarship Federation, Associated Student Body

junior class representative and secretary, varsity crew, dance team,

Coffee Talks, WASC Council, CITE Council, Model United Nations, algebra

tutoring, National Honor Society, American Cancer Society volunteer,

volunteer at The Shanghai Welfare Institution in China.

Honors: American Legion: Girls State Program, Academic Letter and Pin,

National Honor Society, city government award, Hugh O’Brien Youth

Leadership Scholarship, published poem in “Chicken Soup for the Kid’s

Soul” called “Friends Are,” Toastmasters Best Speaker award, Irvine

Spectrum Scholarship, AP Scholar.

ELIZABETH DONALD

Activities: National Honor Society, Ambassadors, Student Political

Action Committee, Mock Trial, Scholarship Federation, water polo,

swimming, volunteer at Costa Mesa Historical Society.

Honors: First Year Chemistry Student of the Year 2000, AP Scholar,

Science Student of the Quarter 2000, Academic Letter and Pin.

KATHRYN EVARTS

Activities: Vice president of the Teen Awareness Organization,

California Scholarship Federation, Senior Show, varsity field hockey,

captain of the junior varsity field hockey team, National Charity League,

taught music at Music Camp at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church.

Honors: XEROX Award for Humanities/Social Sciences; National Merit

Commendation, Who’s Who Among American High School Students, Girls State

Nominee, Academic Letter and Pin, letter in field hockey.

DANIEL FLETCHER

Activities: Co-president of the Model United Nations, National Honors

Society, DaVinci Academy, School Site Council, track and field, delivers

for FISH.

Honors: National Merit Recognition, California Scholarship Federation,

AP Scholar, Academic Letter and Pin.

AMY HALVORSEN

Activities: Associated Student Body member, California Scholarship

Federation, Founder of the First Mates Assn., varsity sailing team, field

hockey, spokesperson for DaVinci Academy, member of ASSISTEEN Auxiliary

of the Assistance League of Newport-Mesa, Susan G. Komen Race for the

Cure, Oasis Senior Center volunteer, volunteer at Orangewood Children’s

home and Families of Costa Mesa, as well as Hoag Hospital’s Festival of

Tress and the Assistance League Thrift Shop.

Honors: Regent’s Scholarship at UC Santa Barbara, Zonta Girl of the

Month, varsity letters in academics, sailing and field hockey,

Principal’s Honor Roll, Golden State Exam honors in American History and

geometry and recognition in chemistry, E.I. Moore Award.

KAYLEY HARRINGTON

Activities: ASB commissioner, National Honors Society, vice president

California Scholarship Federation, president of the American Cancer

Society, Model United Nations, International Ambassadors, varsity field

hockey, varsity softball, basketball statistics, DaVinci Academy,

volunteer at Share Ourselves, National Charity League, Environmental

Nature Center camp counselor.

Honors: AP scholar, Honor Diploma, junior statesmen; Golden State Exam

high honors in chemistry, American history and geometry; American Legion

Americanism Essay Contest, Science Student for the Quarter, Principal’s

Honor Roll.

ARIEL JACOBS

Activities: International Ambassadors, American Cancer Society, NAC

Rowing, volunteer at the Southwest Community Center Soup Kitchen, AFS

year abroad.

Honors: Bank of America Plaque, Social Studies Student of the Quarter,

Scholarship-AFS, Italy.

LAURA KAUTH

Activities: Student Political Action Committee, California Scholarship

Federation, Delegate for NHHS Constitutional Convention, varsity soccer

and track and field, Santa Ana Soup Kitchen volunteer, walking Greyhounds

for the Hemo-Pet Organization, volunteer at the Ironman Triathlon.

Honors: Student of the Semester, finalist foreign language, Student of

the Quarter for English, Academic Letter and Pin, Daughters of the

American Revolution Good Citizenship Award, Regents Scholar for UCSB, top

score on the AP U.S. History test, All League Soccer Team, Soccer Coaches

Award.

SHIRIN OSKOOI

Activities: President of the National Honor Society, President and

Lead Council Mock Trial, Student Political Action, California Scholarship

Federation, Model United Nations, varsity field hockey, Fairview tree

planting, Project Cuddle, Adopt-A-Family, Costa Mesa Historical Society,

Orange County Museum of Art Film Festival volunteer.

Honors: Constitutional Rights Foundation, 1999 Outstanding Attorney

and 2000 Honorable Mention Attorney, UCI Outstanding High School Science

Student in chemistry and physics, AP scholar with honors, Lion’s Club

Speech Competition winner, Rotary International Speech Competition

Finalist, Academic Letter and Pin, Field Hockey Coach’s Award.

LISA OWAD

Activities: Thespian Club vice president and treasurer, secretary of

the Political Action Committee, National Honors Society, California

Scholarship Federation, varsity field hockey and track.

Honors: Wells College 21st Century Leadership Award, Who’s Who Among

High School Students, high honors in algebra and geometry on the Golden

State Exam, honors in U.S. History and chemistry; Academic Letter and

Pin, Regents Scholarship at UCI, President’s Scholar at Ithaca College.

TOM PETER

Activities: National Honor Society, cross country, track, journalism,

California Scholarship Federation.

Honors: Finalist for English Student of the Year, English student for

the quarter, Xerox Social/Humanities, fourth place in the St. Louis

Marathon, attended California Boys State, Lead Defense Counsel.

GIANNA SEGRETTI

Activities: Arreis Dance Team, varsity song squad, National Honor

Society, California Scholarship Federation, Mock Trial, ballet student at

the Ballet Pacifica Conservatory.

Honors: AP Scholar Award

HEATHER TANGEN

Activities: Associated Student Body, American Cancer Society Club,

International Ambassadors Club, National Honor Society, Environmental

Nature Studies Club, Mock Trial, Video Yearbook Editor, California

Scholarship Federation, water polo, swimming, candy striping at Hoag

Hospital, Advisory Committee of Teens, Environmental Nature Center

volunteer.

Honors: President’s Student Service Gold Award, National Merit,

Rensselaer Medallion, Target All Around Award, Elks Club

California-Hawaii State Award, Who’s Who Among American High School

Students, 1997 Think Quest Semifinalist, 1998 Think Quest Honorable

Mention, 1999 Think Quest Semifinalist, Lion’s Club Speech winner,

Veteran of Foreign Wars Voice of Democracy Speech winner.