Care for Animals Inspires Student in Winning Essay

It was the chance to mix two interests that prompted Sheri Stegall, a sophomore at Santa Monica High School, to enter an essay competition. And her effort paid off.

Stegall, 15, recently was named a winner of the “Psychology and Animal Welfare Research and Essay Competition” in the category for high school students. The contest was sponsored by Psychologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

“I like to write,” she said. “And this was a cause definitely worth writing about, and it gave me a way to reach people,” she said. Stegall has volunteered at a local animal shelter and hopes to do so again in the near future.

Stegall based her essay, “Animal Awareness Among Students,” on the results of a test she administered to her classmates to survey their knowledge about the treatment of animals. She selected 100 students in grades 9 through 12. She found that many students had a low level of awareness and were uninformed about the treatment of animals.

“If this (essay) only stops one person from committing animal cruelty in their life,” she noted, “it’s (been) worth it.”

She was presented with a cash award and plaque. Her essay will be printed in a journal put out by Psychologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Westside residents Mark Attwood and Walter Hazzard have been elected members of the board of directors for the Big Brothers of Greater Los Angeles.

Attwood, an attorney with McLauglin & Irvin in Los Angeles, will assist with fund-raising efforts. He is a resident of Pacific Palisades.

Hazzard, who is a staff associate to the vice chancellor at UCLA and former men’s basketball coach, will be involved with recruitment and fund raising for the organization.

The Ocean Park Community Center has named Holly Hafner as project director of Sojourn Battered Women’s Shelter and Services in Santa Monica.

Hafner brings seven years of experience in the field of domestic violence and administration to her new position. She previously served as manager and coordinator of the women’s support groups and children’s program for a battered women’s shelter in Madison, Wis.

Elizabeth Monk Daley, a Santa Monica resident, has been appointed dean of the USC School of Cinema-Television.

Daley, who joined the USC staff in 1989 as chair of the Film and Television Production Program, is a professor of screen writing. She has created several programs with Viacom Pictures for the school while maintaining her own production company.

Daley is the first woman in the nation to be appointed dean of a film school.

Leonard LaBella Jr., former president and chief executive officer of Santa Monica Hospital Medical Center, was honored in March by the U.S. House of Representatives and Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

LaBella, who is now a vice president with UniHealth, was recognized for his efforts while president of Santa Monica Hospital to improve the scope and quality of health services on the Westside.

He is a resident of Pacific Palisades.

Alan Shapiro has been named the Ivadelle and Theodore Johnson Professor of Banking and Finance at the USC School of Business.

Shapiro, known for his work in international finance and financial strategy, joined USC in 1978. He received a bachelor’s degree from Rice University and a Ph.D. degree in economics from Carnegie-Mellon University.

He lives in Pacific Palisades.