16
FRIDAY · JUNE 3, 2016 LA JOLLA VILLAGE NEWS
Education
La Jolla High looks to enhance Viking Plaza with mosaic crest By LAINIE FRASER The Foundation of La Jolla High School has created a GoFundMe in an attempt to raise funds for an artistic element for their new stadium. With the opening of the stadium on schedule for this fall, the school was presented with an opportunity to enhance Viking Plaza, a new entryway connecting the stadium to the campus. “We were given this unique offer by the architects to make an artistic contribution to the walkway,” said Beth Penny, president of Foundation of La Jolla High School. “We simply could not pass that up because of a lack of funding.”
According to Penny, they unanimously decided to contact Jane Wheeler, a local artist known for her hand crafted mosaic bench artwork in Bird Rock. Wheeler has been praised for her work around the city and has completed projects with schools in the community before. Wheeler was ecstatic to begin the project and almost immediately created a mosaic crest rendering for the project. According to La Jolla High athletics director Paula Conway, the foundation does plenty of fundraising throughout the year for a variety of projects not paid for by the school district, including sports-related events.
“We are always trying to find creative and innovative ways to promote the needs of the school in a way that is appealing to our community," Penny said. Developing a GoFundMe seemed like a creative and efficient way to raise the money they needed. “Not only is GoFundMe a well recognized and trusted national brand for online crowd funding, but it is based in our home of San Diego,” Penny said. “Our hope with it is that we could extend our message beyond the immediate doors of the high school and appeal further into the community. “GoFundMe being online does this but we also utilized email and social
WANT TO HELP? Those interested in donating to the cause, may visit gofundme.com/mosaic.
media to reach those who would be interested in giving a little or a lot either to the school or because they love Jane Wheeler’s work or even simply just love La Jolla,” she said. The school’s GoFundMe account has been up and running for nearly three weeks and has received more than $4,000. With a goal of $6,000, Penny expects they will meet that goal in no time thanks to the generous community members who have always supported the school and the athletic department
for the 94 years it has been open. Any funds raised that surpass the GoFundMe goal will be used to beautify the remainder of the stadium through projects such as painting the stands, building a press box and installing a new sound system. Remaining funds will assist any other unfunded projects the school may be interested in.
Preuss School student awarded Gates Millennium Scholarship
Rotary Clubs help out Marines Rotary Club of La Jolla recently joined forces with La Jolla Golden Triangle and Miramar Rotary clubs to restore and enhance recreational facilities for Marines stationed at Miramar. Coordinated by Golden Triangle Rotarian Rick Clark, the project included the repainting and staining of three fishing docks, a jogging deck and workout bars as well as the assembly and staining of eight picnic tables for use of troops stationed there. (Above) La Jolla Rotarian Bill Burch stains one of the eight picnic tables.
San Diego nonprofit Reality Changers has announced that Preuss School senior and Reality Changers graduate Tatiana Jones was awarded the prestigious Gates Millennium Scholarship, which covers full tuition costs from undergraduate to doctorate or medical degrees for minority students majoring in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects. The award is granted to only 1,000 students across the United States each year. “Being a Gates Millennium Scholar has showed me that there are no limits to what I can accomplish in life as a minority,” says Jones. “I am so blessed to have received this honor and can now put my parents’ hearts at ease knowing I will be able to fulfill my dreams of furthering my education with no financial burden." Jones will attend Syracuse University this fall to study forensic science. She started FANCY (Focused and Naturally Confident Youth), a student organization at Preuss designed to uplift, motivate and inspire young women. Jones and her peers identify and discuss teen issues
Tatiana Jones
such as self-esteem, depression, body and body image. “FANCY at Preuss became the gateway to future women leaders and spread hope and direction from one culture to another,” says Jones. “I hope that women of color can be proud of who they are.” This award brings Reality Changers to the $100 million mark in generating scholarship money for local high school seniors who will be the first in their families to attend college. Three hundred students this year alone have earned $25 million in scholarships.
Charter School expanding mental heath plan The Charter School of San Diego, which serves students from grades 712 at risk of dropping out, has announced it is expanding a mental health training program for teachers and school leaders. Working in partnership with the San Diego Police Department, the City of San Diego and the Social Advocates for Youth, more teachers will be trained on the signs of mental health issues in students, enabling them to intercede and get students the help and resources they need before a crisis occurs. MiraMesa-based Charter School, flagship school in Altus Schools, which serve approximately 8,000 atrisk students throughout five counties, is expanding the program fol-
lowing a successful two-year initiative funded by a federal grant. As the only charter school to receive the $100,000 expansion grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the school has trained nearly 300 teachers and community leaders to respond to mental health and substance abuse crises since 2014. Following expenditure of the grant in September, the school will continue the mental health training program by absorbing the cost into its budget. Altus Schools combined serve the largest number of 6th- through 12th-grade students at risk of dropping out in San Diego County.