School’s Seniors Can Apply for Award

Seniors at North Hollywood High School may now apply for a $1,000 scholarship to be awarded by the Fernando Award board of directors.

The school was singled out for the scholarship by this year’s Fernando Award recipient, Nancy Schmidt, vice president and manager of American Pacific State Bank and a community leader, shortly after she was named winner of the Fernando Award in November.

The Fernando Award, a statuette of a Native American, was presented to Schmidt during a dinner at the Sheraton Universal in Universal City on Thursday night. The award recognizes a lifetime of community service and volunteerism. Schmidt founded the San Fernando Valley Charitable Foundation.

Earlier in the week, stacks of scholarship application packets were sent to North Hollywood High School, said Karl Boeckmann, chairman of the Fernando Award scholarship committee.

The scholarship was created this year as a means of fostering volunteerism among teenagers and recognizing the achievements of the young, said Lee Kanon Alpert, who had been president of the Fernando Award until January.

The scholarship will be based on community involvement demonstrated by the applicant, with the winner chosen by a committee of Fernando Award board members, past recipients and community members working with school officials.

The application deadline is May 1 for the scholarship that is open to all North Hollywood students planning to attend a university, college or trade school. Boeckmann said the organization hopes to announce the recipient at North Hollywood High’s graduation.

The $1,000 check will be presented in August at a luncheon for nominees of the Fernando Award.