The Crowd: 1221 auxiliary presents scholarships to outstanding high school grads

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BBC Scholarship winners Cynthia Adkisson, Taylor Douglass and Eden Steel at the 2016 awards ceremony April 26 at the Balboa Bay Resort. (Ann Chatillon / Daily Pilot)

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$20,000 scholarship winner Vincent Ong with his mother, Sherry Ong. (Ann Chatillon / Daily Pilot)

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BBC 1221 members Jacklyn Kessler, Devon Martin and Beverly Stern. (Ann Chatillon / Daily Pilot)

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Scholar Sylvia Catania with benefactor Devon Martin. (Ann Chatillon / Daily Pilot)

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2016 award winners from all local Newport-Mesa high schools. (Ann Chatillon / Daily Pilot)

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Benefactors Natalie and Todd Pickup with Anne Wortmann and Dick Pickup. (Ann Chatillon / Daily Pilot)

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Generous donors Carole Pickup and Rita Sprinkel support the 1221 scholarships at the Balboa Bay Club. (Ann Chatillon / Daily Pilot)

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1221 auxiliary president Kathy and Noel Hamilton, David Reed, Donna Anderson and Ron Willut. (Ann Chatillon / Daily Pilot)

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1221 Scholarship award winners Baylee Bakkila and Adam Freeman accept grants of $20,000 each. (Ann Chatillon / Daily Pilot)

By B.W. Cook

May 5, 2016 5:30 PM PT

High-achieving graduating seniors from the Newport-Mesa Unified School District were recognized and awarded significant financial scholarships April 26 in a ceremony presented by the 1221 auxiliary of the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach.

Now in its 15th year, the 1221 scholarships have granted in excess of $1 million to local students, making the awards among the largest in the community. This year, grants totaling $152,000 were presented to 26 students.

A midweek dinner ceremony hosted by Balboa Bay Club management unfolded in the grand ballroom of the Balboa Bay Resort. Presided over by Balboa Bay Club general manager Malcolm Smith, benefactors in attendance included Carole Pickup, Devon and Kevin Martin, Natalie and Todd Pickup, Joe Moody, Richard Pickup and Balboa Bay Resort G.M. Sam El-Rabaa.

The Pickup and Martin families have created a permanent endowment for the scholarship fund beyond the collection of annual giving from generous community members supporting the 1221’s goals throughout the year.

Students, parents and extended family members were invited to a buffet dinner, joining 1221 donors and Balboa Bay Club management, members and staff. Some 300 guests sampled shrimp cocktails and toasted the occasion as Smith introduced members of the 1221 scholarship committee.

Led by Balboa Bay Club chairman of the board of governors John Wortmann, several local dignitaries — including philanthropist and BBC governor Catherine Thyen, former high school principal and educator Char Armstrong and Heather Dickerson — took the stage to present the awards. The committee members were joined by 1221 club VIPs Kathy Hamilton, Anne Wortmann, Kim Axene and Jane Rivera.

As the crowd finished dinner, the ceremony began as Smith introduced a junior student from Corona del Mar High School, Brandon Getter.

The young man, seated at the grand piano, performed an impressive rendition of music. He set the tone of excellence among the student accomplishments.

Five categories of awards followed. The first three categories are designated as the 1221 Scholarship, the BBC Scholarship and the Pinnacle Scholarship. Students receiving these honors were each granted $20,000.

Vincent Ong from Corona del Mar High School was granted the BBC Scholarship. Adam Freeman and Baylee Bakkila both were awarded the 1221 honors.

And finally, Ryan Standy and Anna Ramashkevich, all of Newport Harbor High School, took home the Pinnacle Scholarships.

Two outstanding graduates were awarded Governor Scholarships in the amount of $7,000 each. Eden Steel from Estancia High School and Patrick Jennings from Corona del Mar High School accepted these awards.

Another group of students from Costa Mesa, Estancia, Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar high schools were granted $1,000 honors. Recipients were Cassie Harriman, Kate Piatti, Keiser Ruiz, Mason Tufuga, Sam Mitchell, Sylvia Catania, Tayler Douglass, Cynthia Adkisson, Juan Martinez, Joshua Maxwell, Kevin Angeles, Teresa Morris, Delaney Carroll, Arthur Pescan, Erin Hatch, Marco Rodriguez and Alex Abrams.

John Wortmann commented, “The task of deciding which student receives which award is challenging. They are all outstanding kids with impressive GPAs, high test scores, athletic accomplishments and many with hours of community service.”

Char Armstrong added, “As a retired principal with 38 years behind the school desk, I tell you, this is a joy for me. Nothing else can restore my faith in the future of this nation and world like seeing young people like these go off to follow their educational goals and dreams.”

Candidates for the awards are nominated by their school principals and counselors. Criteria for selection include such categories as motivation, communication, academic challenge and achievement, leadership, athletic participation, community involvement and financial need. Finalists are interviewed by at least four members of the committee prior to final selection.

This year’s scholarship winners will be attending many universities, including UCLA, USC, UC Berkeley, Stanford and UC Santa Cruz.

Family members, friends and community dignitaries spotted in the crowd included Joel and Judy Slutzky, Denice Schuler, Donna Anderson, Don Robertson, Bob and Virginia Robins, Virginia Savage, Parvaneh Cater, Denise Day, Dawn Kaltenbach, Rita Sprinkel, Donna Stevens and Beverly Stern.

To learn more about the 1221 scholarships, visit the BBC website at balboabayclub.com.

B.W. COOK is editor of the Bay Window, the official publication of the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach.