28 Orange County Seniors Win $500 Times Fund Grants

The Los Angeles Times Fund has again awarded $100,000 in educational grants-in-aid to 200 graduating high school seniors in Southern California, including 28 in Orange County. The grants will enable the students to continue their educations in the fall.

The awards, which are $500 each, were presented this month during ceremonies at both public and private schools in Orange County and also in Los Angeles and San Diego counties.

The grants-in-aid program, started by The Times Fund in 1967, provides money to students whose high school grade-point averages are 2.9 or below but whom school teachers or counselors have designated as having high potential for academic success. The grants may be used at trade or technical schools, colleges or universities.

The program has so far awarded more than 6,000 grants totaling more than $2.3 million.

“The grants-in-aid program provides many underprivileged students with the encouragement they need to pursue their dreams of higher education,” said Tom Johnson, publisher and chief executive officer of The Times and president of the Times Fund. “These students have demonstrated a desire to get the schooling necessary to become productive, contributing members of their communities. The Times is proud to help turn that drive for advancement into reality.”

Lawrence M. Higby, president of The Times Orange County Edition, said he is pleased that 28 of the students to receive grants this year are from Orange County. “These students come from all over the county, from public and parochial schools, and they will attend a wide variety of educational institutions. For us, this is another way to make a significant investment in Orange County’s future.”

The grants-in-aid program is supported by various Times-sponsored events. Two such events are the AmericaFest, a fireworks extravaganza July 4 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, and the 43rd annual Times/Rams Charity Game Aug. 25 at Anaheim Stadium.

The grant recipients for Orange County this year:

1989 Orange County Grants-In-Aid

Frank Arellano, Western High, Anaheim

Emily Arias, Rancho Alamitos High, Garden Grove

Eddie Barnes, Santa Ana High

Susan Belderson, Mission Viejo High

Wendy Ann Boni, Bolsa Grande High, Garden Grove

Morgan Brown, Monte Vista High, Santa Ana

Tara Elise Cohn, Capistrano Valley High, Mission Viejo

Andrea Cortez, Saddleback High, Santa Ana

Sherry Fong DeShazo, Sonora High, Fullerton

Tanya Diaz, Mater Dei, Santa Ana

Aracela S. Figueroa, Bolsa Grande High, Garden Grove

Melanie Leah Flores, Mountain View High, Santa Ana

Esteban Gonzalez, Santa Ana High

Gus Gonzalez, Rancho Santiago College

Melanie Grunder, Estancia High, Costa Mesa

Keith Johnson, Garden Grove High

Tiffany Kelman, Edison High, Huntington Beach

Kristie Leombruno, Bolsa Grande High

Danny Lopez, La Habra High, Fullerton

Mighel A. Luna, Horizon High, Santa Ana

Tawney L. Mays, La Habra High

Jerri Neufeld, Estancia High

Frederick Gary Olivieri, Mater Dei

Javier Perez, Brea-Olinda High, Brea

Mario Pineda, Valencia High, Placentia

Delphino Royals, Valley High, Santa Ana

Santos Martin Tonconi, Sonora High

Tamara Warath, Monte Vista High