Occidental College’s Sophal Ear, a sitting member of the Crescenta Valley Town Council, has been named a recipient of the 2019 Tobis Medal, bestowed annually by the UC Irvine Interdisciplinary Center for the Scientific Study of Ethics and Morality to people prominent in their chosen field who have also given back to society.

___________

Glendale native Matthew Schetina participated in commencement proceedings at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington on Sunday, May 19. A graduate of Crescenta Valley High School, Schetina graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in foreign languages and literatures: French and theatre from Whitman.

Whitman College was founded in 1882 and is a highly selective private, independent, co-educational, non-sectarian residential liberal arts and sciences undergraduate college. The college is home to approximately 1,500 undergraduate students exploring 45 departmental majors that lead to a Bachelor of Arts degree.

___________

Katherine Nolte ’19 of La Crescenta was recently awarded the Student Leader of the Year Award and the Alpha Sigma Kappa Class of 1938 Memorial Prize at Lake Forest College’s annual Leadership Awards Ceremony.

The Student Leader of the Year Award is presented to a person who, through their leadership skills and initiative, has made a significant impact on the Lake Forest College community throughout the past academic year. Recipients must have at least a 2.75 cumulative GPA.

The Alpha Sigma Kappa Class of 1938 Memorial Prize was established in 1993 by members of the Class of 1938 who were members of the Alpha Sigma Kappa fraternity. The prize is given to a senior student who has sustained a 3.4 cumulative GPA, has participated in at least two co-curricular activities on campus, and has exhibited a strong commitment to community service while a student at Lake Forest College for at least the last two years.

Lake Forest College is a national liberal arts institution located 30 miles north of downtown Chicago. The College has 1,500 students representing nearly every state and 80 countries.

___________

The following local residents were recently initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society: Rebecca McKim of Glendalewas initiated at Boise State University; Angela Oh of La Crescenta was initiated at University of Southern California; Mark DeFond of La Cañada was initiated at University of Southern California; Edith Montemayor Angel of Tujunga was initiated at University of Southern California; Georgi Kobalyan of Montrose was initiated at University of Southern California; and Elizabeth Schmidt of Glendale was initiated at University of Southern California.

These residents are among approximately 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10% of seniors and 7.5% of juniors are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10% of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.

___________

Danika C. Christensen of La Cañada graduated from Clemson University in South Carolina with a Bachelor of Arts degree in biological sciences.

Christensen was among 3,600 students who received degrees at the May 9-10 ceremonies at Littlejohn Coliseum.

___________

Megan Massey of La Cañada Flintridge was recently named to the Benedictine College dean’s list for the spring semester, which ended May 7. Full time students with 12 hours and a grade point average of 3.5 are named to the dean’s list.

Founded in 1858, Benedictine College is a Catholic, Benedictine, residential, liberal arts college located on the bluffs above the Missouri River in Atchison, Kansas. It prides itself on outstanding academics, extraordinary faith life, strong athletic programs, and an exceptional sense of community and belonging. It has a mission to educate men and women within a community of faith and scholarship.