Pregnant Mare Rescue Mention PMR when checking out at
A donation is given to PMR every time you do. Thank You for all of your support.
Happy Summer!
408•540•8568
PregnantMareRescue.org
COMMUNITY NEWS
Mt. Madonna School Valedictorians & Salutatorian M ount Madonna School announces Cecily Kelly, Mariah Cohen and Samuel Kaplan as the 2023 co-valedictorians and Zoey Ocampo-Sobkoviak as salutatorian. Cohen, Kaplan and Kelly started attending MMS as preschoolers, and Ocampo-Sobkoviak in fifth grade. The 2023 high school graduation ceremony will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 15 at the school’s upper campus. Mariah Cohen ohen will attend UC Los Angeles and plans to major in biology or marine biology. “I chose UCLA for a number of reasons: it is a top public university in the nation, and getting the opportunity to study there is amazing,” said Cohen. “I also considered location when making my college decision. Adjusting to a city like Los Angeles will take some time, but I think it will be Mariah Cohen good for me to get to experience life somewhere so different from Santa Cruz, where I’ve lived my whole life. I chose UCLA ultimately because I know I will be challenged there, but it is such a wonderful opportunity for me to grow both as a student and as a person.” As for her teachers, she said, “Nicole Silva Culbertson inspires me to stick to my values and stand up for what I believe in. She is very expressive of her opinions, and I love her for it. John Welch has been pushing me to explore science and what I can do in STEM through his physics classes, and I’m so appreciative of him. Any time I want to quit or don’t trust myself to do something in class, John is right there to pick me up and push me forward. I will always keep him in mind whenever I’m doubting myself, and I’m really glad to have him as a teacher.” One takeaway from Mount Madonna School is “getting along with people that you may not necessarily gravitate toward; our small school is a virtue in this way. When you’re in a class size of 10 people, you learn to be friends with the other nine. We know how to support each other and work through our issues because we are around
C
aptoscurves@gmail.com • www.facebook.com/CurvesAptos
r to Fly on ove d. lv B rt o p 416 Air ille in Watsonv
SPRING 99¢ SALE
• All Remnants and Short Rolls in stock • LVT Stock Flooring • Rip-Proof Vinyl • Laminate Floors
416 Airport Boulevard, Watsonville, CA • 831-728-3131 16 / June 1st 2023 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com
each other so much. I’ve learned from being a Mount Madonna student to work with people who are different from me and be friends with people who I wouldn’t necessarily go up and talk to on my own.” She lives in Watsonville; her parents are Barbara and Morty Cohen. Samuel Kaplan aplan will attend Purchase College, State University of New York. “I will be studying dance in college and my decision was very difficult,” said Kaplan. “I eventually chose SUNY Purchase because it is one of the top dance programs in the country and I thought the vision of the dance program aligned with what I want to do.” As for his teachers he said, “Teacher John Welch Samuel Kaplan continues to inspire me. His physics class has taught me to view science, and the world differently. I always asked myself questions about the world, but after taking John’s class I also ask myself how (through what method) I could answer my own questions about the world.” One takeaway is that Mount Madonna School “has made me a much more outgoing person than I would have been had I gone to a different school. Through performing arts and the small community that Mount Madonna cultivates, I got a lot better at interacting with, speaking with and debating with people.” He lives in Santa Cruz; his parents are Beth Brennan and Craig Kaplan. Cecily Kelly elly will attend UC Santa Barbara. “I chose UCSB because it has great educational opportunities, and I love the campus and how close it is to the beach,” said Kelly. “I am currently undeclared in the College of Letters and Sciences but Cecily Kelly plan on majoring in psychological and brain sciences.”
K
K
“MMS Vals & Sals” page 21