People Making News

Austin Drake of La Crescenta graduated from California State University – Northridge Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communications on May 18. He received a Bachelor of Music in jazz studies with trumpet as his instrument. Drake is a graduate of CVHS.
Carrie Drake of La Crescenta graduated from the University of California – Santa Barbara College of Letters on June 16. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology. She also is a graduate of CVHS.
Randy Drake of La Crescenta graduated from the University of California – Santa Barbara Graduate Division on June 17. He received a Doctor of Philosophy in ethnomusicology with a minor in women’s studies.
_________________
Stephanie Beck, Class of 2018, from La Cañada Flintridge was named to the dean’s list at Bucknell University during the spring semester of the 2017-18 academic year. A student must earn a grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a scale of 4.0 to receive dean’s list recognition.
Beck graduated on May 20.
Located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, Bucknell University is a highly selective private liberal arts university that offers majors in the arts, engineering, humanities, management, and social and natural sciences, along with broad opportunities outside of class, to its 3,600 undergraduates.
_________________
Elizabeth Crotty from Glendale was recently named to the dean’s list at William & Mary for the spring 2018 semester.
In order to achieve dean’s list status, a full-time degree seeking undergraduate student must take at least 12 credit hours and earn a 3.6 quality point average during the semester.
William & Mary is the second oldest institution of higher learning in the United States.
_________________
Sabrina Whitford of La Cañada Flintridge received a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication from Marist College the weekend of May 18.
Located on the banks of the Hudson River and at its Florence, Italy campus, Marist College is a comprehensive, independent institution grounded in the liberal arts.
_________________
Alec Richardson of La Cañada Flintridge was recently named to the Emmanuel College dean’s list for the spring 2018 semester. To earn a spot on the dean’s list, Emmanuel students must achieve a grade point average of 3.5 or higher for a 16-credit semester
Emmanuel College is a co-educational, residential institution with a 17-acre campus in the heart of Boston’s educational, scientific, cultural and medical communities enrolling more than 2,200 undergraduate and graduate students.
_________________
La Cañada native Ryan Witherspoon participated in commencement proceedings at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington on Sunday, May 20. A graduate of La Cañada High School, Witherspoon received a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Whitman.
Founded in 1882, Whitman College is a highly selective private, independent, co-educational, non-sectarian residential liberal arts and sciences undergraduate college home to approximately 1,500 undergraduate students exploring 45 departmental majors that lead to a Bachelor of Arts degree.
_________________
Amy Giboney of La Crescenta was named to the spring 2018 dean’s list at Samford University. Giboney is a sophomore sports medicine (HP) major and attended Crescenta Valley High School.
Samford releases dean’s lists after the close of the fall and spring semesters each academic year. To qualify for the dean’s list, a student must have earned a minimum 3.5 grade point average out of a possible 4.0 while attempting at least 12 credit hours of coursework.
_________________
Cornell College conferred degrees on 216 students during its annual commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 13 including Sierra Nelson of Tujunga.
After years of studying and lots of memories with classmates and faculty members, the Class of 2018 gathered in the Richard and Norma Small Multi-Sport Center for an indoor ceremony.
Cornell College campus is located in Mount Vernon, Iowa. One of the “Colleges That Change Lives,” Cornell College is a national liberal arts college with a distinctive One Course At A Time curriculum
With a student body from 42 states and 17 foreign countries, and renowned visiting speakers, faculty, and entertainers, Cornell offers the world from its hilltop campus.
_________________
Henry Rowe of La Cañada Flintridge earned a BA degree in anthropology from Wesleyan University at the commencement ceremony on May 26. Rowe received honors in anthropology.
Wesleyan University is a private, non-sectarian liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831, Wesleyan offers its 3,000 undergraduates and 200 graduate students a demanding educational environment characterized by boldness, rigor and practical idealism.
_________________
Wheaton College student-athlete Erika Johnson of Glendale was named to the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Academic All-Conference team. The Academic All-Conference team consists of letter winners from CCIW member institutions who achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or higher. Johnson is a member of the women’s cross-country team.
Wheaton College sponsors 21 varsity sports, and Thunder teams compete at the NCAA Division III level.
Johnson and Christine Kim of Montrose were also named to the spring 2018 dean’s list. Dean’s list honors are earned by undergraduate students who carry 12 or more credit hours and achieve a 3.5 grade point average or higher.
Wheaton College (Wheaton, Ill.) is a coeducational Christian liberal arts college noted for its rigorous academics, integration of faith and learning, and consistent ranking among the top liberal arts colleges in the country. For more information, visit wheaton.edu.
_________________
Peter Garfield of La Cañada Flintridge graduated from the University of New Hampshire in May. He earned a BA degree in political science.
The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state’s flagship public institution, enrolling 13,000 undergraduate and 2,500 graduate students.
_________________
The University of Rhode Island announced the spring 2018 dean’s list. The students represent nearly all of Rhode Island’s cities and towns, all six New England states, New York and New Jersey, and many other states and countries. Among those named to the dean’s list were Emerson Ward Campbell of La Cañada, Erica Yoo Kyung Lee of Montrose and Caitlin Elizabeth Smith of Glendale.
To be included on the dean’s list, full-time students must have completed 12 or more credits for letter grades during a semester and achieved at least a 3.30 quality point average. Part-time students qualify with the accumulation of 12 or more credits for letter grades earning at least a 3.30 quality point average.
_________________
Salinay Abramyan of Tujunga was recently initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. Abramyan was initiated at California State University, Los Angeles.
_________________
McKenna Rose Middleton of Glendale 91208, who attends Baylor’s College of Arts and Sciences, was among the more than 4,000 Baylor University students named to the dean’s academic honor list for the 2018 spring semester. Students honored on the dean’s list are Baylor undergraduates with a minimum grade-point average of 3.7 while enrolled in a minimum of 12 semester hours.
The oldest continuously operating university in Texas, Baylor University is a private Christian university and a nationally ranked research institution, with a mission to educate students for worldwide leadership and service by integrating academic excellence and Christian commitment in a caring community.
_________________
Oregon State University will hold its 149th commencement on Saturday, June 16. Among the graduating students are: From Glendale ¬– Sylvia C. Chiang, doctor of veterinary medicine, veterinary medicine – DVM; Sami I. Daher, Bachelor of Science, cum laude, psychology; Armandh-Noel M. Flores, Bachelor of Science, business information systems; Ted P. Sanjeevi, Bachelor of Science, computer science. From La Cañada: Douglas R. Drugan, Bachelor of Science, computer science. From La Cañada Flintridge: Jessica A. Davidson, Bachelor of Science, human development and family sciences. From Montrose:
Candice A. Koeth, Bachelor of Science, cum laude, economics.
_________________
Liesje Howard of Glendale graduated from Northern Illinois University with a master’s degree, public administration: Public Service Law & Management.
Through its main campus in DeKalb, Illinois, and education centers for students and working professionals in Chicago, Hoffman Estates, Naperville, Oregon and Rockford, NIU offers more than 100 courses of study while serving a diverse and international student body of about 19,000. The 17 NIU Huskie athletic teams compete in the Mid-American Conference at the highest NCAA Division I level.
_________________
The following students graduated from the University of San Diego on May 27:
Tiara Avaness of La Crescenta earned bachelors’ degrees in philosophy and business administration. She graduated summa cum laude; Dana Delaney of La Cañada earned a bachelor’s degree in visual arts and graduated cum laude; Daniel Paton of La Cañada Flintridge earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration; Kenneth Garrett Evensen of Flintridge earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental & ocean sciences; Hannah Gerald of Glendale (91208) earned a bachelor’s degree in finance and marketing; Austin Hammer of Glendale (91208) earned a bachelor’s degree in finance and economics and graduated cum laude; Dylan Sunga of Tujunga earned a bachelor’s degree in accountancy.
The University of San Diego boasts more than 8,000 students from 77 countries and 44 states and is the youngest, independent institution on the U.S. News & World Report list of top 100 universities in the United States.
_________________
Army and Navy Academy’s 107th commencement ceremony was held on Saturday, June 2. Do Won Kim of La Crescenta and Ryan McWhorter of La Cañada graduated with the Class of 2018. Kim will be attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Daytona Beach in the fall.
Founded in 1910, the Army and Navy Academy is a private not-for-profit institution that provides an academically robust, character-based education for young men, grades seven through 12.
_________________
Daniel Ryan Stratz of La Cañada earned a Bachelor of Arts, communication from Baylor University.
Baylor University is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas. A record number of nearly 3,000 graduates received degrees during three spring commencement exercises May 11-12 in the Ferrell Center on the Baylor campus.
_________________
During commencement ceremonies on May 21, Lehigh University conferred 1,103 Bachelor’s degrees, 402 Master’s degrees and 59 Doctoral degrees. Of the more than 1,500 graduates, degree recipients came from 42 states and 53 countries, majoring in 91 different disciplines.
Biannca Smissen of La Crescenta earned a Bachelor of Science in business and economics degree with a major in finance and management with honors and Caroline Raney of La Cañada Flintridge earned a Bachelor of Science in business and economics degree with a major in finance and marketing with honors
For more than 150 years, Lehigh University (lehigh.edu) in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, has combined academic and learning opportunities with leadership in fostering innovative research.
_________________
Tufts University recently announced the dean’s list for the spring 2018 semester. Among students earning dean’s list honors from La Cañada Flintridge were Anise Applebaum, Charlotte Leis, Ryan Newquist, Katharine Pinney and Kevin Sung.
Dean’s list honors at Tufts University require a semester grade point average of 3.4 or greater.
Tufts University is located on campuses in Boston, Medford/Somerville and Grafton, Massachusetts, and in Talloires, France.
_________________
Liam Cascelli and Elijah Eigenbrodt of Glendale earned placement on the Gonzaga University dean’s list for spring semester 2018. Students must earn a 3.5 to 3.84 grade-point average to be listed.
Gonzaga University is a humanistic, private Catholic University providing a Jesuit education to more than 7,500 students. Situated along the Spokane River near downtown Spokane, Wash., Gonzaga is routinely recognized among the West’s best comprehensive regional universities.
_________________
Gavin Traber of La Crescenta is one of more than 800 graduates who received a diploma at Harding University’s commencement exercises May 5.
Traber received a Bachelor of Science in molecular and cellular biology.
Harding University is a private Christian university located in Searcy, Arkansas. Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, it is the largest private university in the state. Harding’s student body is made up of students representing 50 states and 54 nations and territories.
_________________
Madison Artis and Lois Lee of La Crescenta graduated from Whitworth University. Artis graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Music – instrumental performance, magna cum laude, and named to the provost’s honor roll. Lee was awarded a Bachelor of Arts, Elementary Education, magna cum laude.
Located in Spokane, Washington, Whitworth is a private, liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian church. The university, which has an enrollment of nearly 3,000 students, offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
_________________
Jeffrey Miller of La Cañada Flintridge earned a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and Bachelor of Science in physics from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta.
Miller was among approximately 3,700 undergraduate and graduate students who received degrees during Georgia Tech’s 255th commencement exercises on May 4-5 at the McCamish Pavilion.
More than 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students are enrolled, and Georgia Tech is ranked in the nation’s top 10 public universities by U.S. News and World Report.
_________________
Naomi Peterson of La Crescenta and Meredith Roberts of La Cañada Flintridge have been named to the University of Delaware dean’s list for the spring 2018 semester.
To meet eligibility requirements for the dean’s list, a student must be enrolled full-time and earn a GPA of 3.33 or above (on a 4.0 scale) for the semester.
_________________
Amy Giboney of La Crescenta was named to the fall 2017 dean’s list at Samford University. Giboney is a sophomore sports medicine (HP) major.
Samford releases dean’s lists after the close of the fall and spring semesters each academic year. To qualify for the dean’s list, a student must have earned a minimum 3.5 grade point average out of a possible 4.0 while attempting at least 12 credit hours of coursework. Dean’s list is the highest academic recognition given by the school at the end of each semester.
Samford University is a nationally ranked Christian university. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th oldest institution of higher education in the United States. U.S. News & World Report ranks Samford third among regional universities in the South, and Samford is recognized as the top-ranked university in the state of Alabama in national rankings published by Forbes Inc, The Economist and The Wall Street Journal.
_________________
Alec Richardson of La Cañada Flintridge graduated on Saturday, May 12 during Emmanuel College’s 96th commencement exercises on its campus in Boston. Richardson received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology with a concentration in developmental psychology during the ceremony.
Emmanuel College is a co-educational, residential institution with a 17-acre campus in the heart of Boston’s educational, scientific, cultural and medical communities with an enrollment of more than 2,200 undergraduate and graduate students.
_________________
The following local students made the academic dean’s list at Azusa Pacific University: From Sunland, Courtney Bitz, Lindsey Eldredge and Natalie Garcia. From Tujunga, Kelly Fish, Megan Fish and Abigail Rickett. From La Crescenta, Gary Bondy, Matthew Manalo, Madison Newbro, Kristen Pinchbeck, Sarah Rubin and Hannah Sy. From La Cañada Flintridge, Yujin Chu, Timothy Gee, Jadon Henry and Shannon Settles. Marie Gonzalez of Montrose.
These students are honored for a spring 2018 grade point average of 3.5 or better. They are joined by 1,760 students receiving the same honor.
Azusa Pacific University is an evangelical Christian university committed to God First and excellence in higher education. With 80 bachelor’s degrees, 51 master’s degrees, 25 certificates, 12 credentials, eight doctoral programs, and two associate’s degrees, the university offers its more than 10,300 students a quality education on campus, online, and at six regional centers throughout Southern California.
_________________
Lawrence Ku of La Cañada Flintridge has been placed on the deans’ commendation list at Gettysburg College for outstanding academic achievement in the spring 2018 semester. Students with a quality point average in the range of 3.300 to 3.599 for a semester’s work earn a place on the deans’ commendation list. Aidan Phillips, also of La Cañada Flintridge, has earned a place on the Gettysburg College dean’s honor list for outstanding academic achievement in the spring 2018 semester. Students with a quality point average of 3.60 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) for a semester’s work are placed on the College’s dean’s honor list.
Founded in 1832, Gettysburg College is a highly selective four-year residential college of liberal arts and sciences with a strong academic tradition. The college enrolls 2,600 undergraduate students and is located on a 200-acre campus adjacent to the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania.