3 honored for peace efforts

Christine Carrillo

Three Newport-Mesa residents were honored Friday for their efforts to

promote peace and encourage others do the same.

Pepe Montenegro, outreach youth coordinator for the Newport-Mesa

Unified School District, and Florencia Krochik, 17, and Andrea

Savopolos, 16, juniors at Corona del Mar High School, were all cited

for community-building efforts.

The recognition came at the seventh annual 2003 Ambassador of

Peace Awards luncheon ceremony at the Turnip Rose in Costa Mesa. The

Violence Prevention Coalition of Orange County recognized six people

for their peace-promoting efforts.

This event is important because “we need to celebrate our work and

the people doing that work,” said Mary Leigh Blek, a representative

of the coalition. “We need to celebrate our successes also by coming

together. That way, we can create energy and inspiration for our work

in this community.”

Montenegro received the peace award for his 25 years of dedication

to helping others.

“I enjoy specifically what I do. ... Being recognized for [my

work] is awesome, but it’s surreal,” he said. “I’m just doing what

I’m supposed to do. I’m doing my calling.”

Through his work at the district, Montenegro works with troubled

teens and their families, handling situations involving drugs,

bullies and gangs.

“I’m extremely proud of him,” said Jaime Castellanos, assistant

superintendent of secondary education for the district. “I think he’s

just a wonderful example of what it takes to do the job he has to do

everyday. He’s a jewel.”

Many of Montenegro’s colleagues agree.

“It’s so clear that the kind of work that he’s doing really fits

this award and what they were looking for,” said Diana Hensely, a

counselor coordinator for the district and the woman who nominated

him for the award. “He really has a heart for this and he’s really

affective.”

Florencia and Andrea co-founded the high school’s Tolerance Among

People club, a student organization that aims to break down the walls

of prejudice and discrimination.

“I’m incredibly proud of them, and they deserve every recognition

they’ve received,” Castellanos said. “When you look at their

maturation ... their passion, you can tell they’re gifted because you

just don’t see [those qualities] in that age group very often. It

lets you know that our future’s in good hands with students like

that.”

“It’s an honor that the community is recognizing the efforts we’re

making at our school,” Andrea said.

“Everything we do with [the club] we do because we want to make a

difference,” Florentia added.

For all of the recipients, the recognition they received was more

about the work they’ve done than the people they are.

“I respect [all the recipients] and I’m just glad that we have

that same kind of vein in our heart,” Montenegro said. “We want

people to get along. We want people to be respected, whatever color,

whatever class.”