fall 2008 This Issue_ _FAMIS Information _School Dates _Techno-Scholars _Back to School _Annual Senior Educational Conference _American Wetlands Month _2008 Achievement Banquet _NRHA Partners with Lee’s Friends
_ a publication for the residents of norfolk’s assisted rental neighborhoods_
Diggs Town Student Receives Norfolk by Kelly Williams and Foundation College Scholarship LaRhesa Christmas - Editorial Assistant High school graduates around the country are heading to college campuses with high aspirations. Like most students, Joseph “Joe” Saenz spent the summer preparing for and anticipating this big life step. What sets Joe apart from a majority of his college-bound peers, aside from his ranking as third in his high school graduating class from Lake Taylor? He is a resident of Diggs Town, one of Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s assisted-rental communities, and the first recipient of a new scholarship from The Norfolk Foundation to cover all costs of earning a bachelor’s degree at a public college or university. The Norfolk Foundation makes grants that transform the quality of life and inspire philanthropy in southeastern Virginia. Meeting with Joe and his mother, Olivia “Libby” Caban, in their home, Joe’s face lit up as he looked over his piles of packing. “I’ll need to repack those” referring to a pile of clothes in the corner, “but everything else is just about ready,” he states, with the sparkle in his eye and a quiet smile spreading across his face. He headed to Richmond to begin his studies in engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) on August 17. Shy and humble about his accomplishments, Joe not only excelled in the classroom, having taken four Advanced Placement classes as a senior (calculus, physics, Spanish and literature), he was also a part of Norfolk Public Schools’ NORSTAR (Norfolk School for Science Technology and Advanced Research) program all four years of high school.
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His interest in robotics and engineering began when he was young, taking apart door locks, VCRs, computers and remote controls to learn how things worked and to see if he could put them back together. As an eighth grader at Ruffner Academy Middle School, Joe learned about the NORSTAR program. He applied and was accepted, quickly falling under the mentoring of Dr. George Skena, NORSTAR director at the Norfolk Technical Center. It was Dr. Skena, having been in the robotics profession for over 20 years with multiple degrees from several universities, who encouraged Joe to think beyond acquiring a Bachelor’s degree. Joe plans to pursue a Master’s in Science as well as a PhD upon completing his Mechanical Engineering degree at VCU. Story continues on page 4. Photo by Glen McClure