Senior at Escondido High Named Coca-Cola Scholar

* Gregory R. Wood, an 18-year-old senior at Escondido High School, was recently named a regional scholar in the national Coca-Cola Scholars Program. He was one of 11 high school seniors in the Western United States to win the scholarship.

More than 50,000 high school seniors nationwide competed in the merit-based program, which is in its second year. Wood will receive $1,000 annually for the next four years to go toward his college education.

Wood was selected for this award for being “the total student--well rounded, community oriented, socially responsible and academically strong,” a Coca-Cola spokesman said. Besides being active on the cross-country track and soccer teams at school, Wood is a member of the Academic League, and he recently participated in a countywide decathlon.

Wood, who wants to become an astronaut, said he will use his winnings toward tuition at the United States Air Force Academy, where he will major in aerospace engineering. He is joining the academy in June, two weeks after graduation from Escondido High.

* Sandra Johnson was recently named one of 10 principals in the nation to receive the “Principals of Leadership” award from the National Assn. of Secondary School Principals, the National Assn. of Elementary School Principals, the National School Safety Center and the U.S. Office of Education.

Johnson, principal of Rancho Bernardo High School, beat out 180 principals nationwide for the honor.

* John Ford, an anthropology instructor at MiraCosta College, has been elected to a two-year term as president of the national Society for Anthropology in Community Colleges.

Ford, who holds a doctorate from the U.S. International University, previously served as regional representative for the society. In addition to his teaching experience at MiraCosta, Ford has worked as contract archeologist for Paul Chase and Associates in Escondido and for the L.S.B. Leakey Foundation in Pasadena.

* The Telescope, Palomar College’s student newspaper, garnered 12 awards at a recent community college journalism conference in Fresno. The weekly was also ranked fourth among more than 60 community colleges in the state for general excellence for large college tabloids.

Larry Boisjolie of Escondido took first place in the investigative news category for a series of articles about toxic chemical emissions emanating from a local manufacturer. Boisjolie also received a second place in critical review for his critique of local Mexican fast-food eateries, and earned an honorable mention in the editorial division.

Escondido resident Jeff Tuttle garnered a second place in the opinion category for a piece condemning the stands of the Bush Administration and the United Nations on the Khmer Rouge-led Cambodian holocaust. Scott King of Vista received an honorable mention in sports news, and Cris Fraser of Oceanside received an honorable mention for a line illustration.

* MiraCosta College student Cora Schooler won two medals in speech and debate in last month’s PHI RHO PI national competition in Kansas City. Schooler is a member of the MiraCosta College Forensics, the college’s speaking and debating team.

Schooler, an Oceanside resident, garnered a silver medal in debate and a gold medal in extemporaneous speaking. She finished with the second-best score in the nation in a field of 106 competitors in the latter category.

In the small-schools category, the Forensics placed ninth in the country and sixth in debate. Neil Moura, the team’s director, said the standings are impressive considering this is the first year MiraCosta has had a team to enter competitions.