Central Los Angeles : YOUNG ACHIEVERS

A group of once-troubled South-Central Los Angeles teen-agers are celebrating their entrance to college.

The 12 students, many of them teen-age parents, received $400 scholarships this week from the board of El Nido, a social service agency that counseled the students. The 17- and 18-year-olds were rewarded for graduating from high school and enrolling in college. El Nido helps young people obtain services ranging from counseling to parent education classes.

“For some of the kids, [El Nido] is the first time anyone has said to them, ‘There are things you can achieve,’ ” said Fritzie Davis, El Nido director.