Our Laguna -- Barbara Diamond

Eight young women were among the high school seniors honored by the

Laguna chapter of the National Charity League at the annual Membership

and Debutante Announcement Luncheon, held recently at the Ritz-Carlton

Hotel in Dana Point.

The luncheon marked the beginning of the debutante year for Sonia

Badhjeka, Ashleigh Barker, Lindsey Butterwick, Breyon Lauher, Jessica

Levin, Ashley Maddocks, Martina Speare and Blair Urban. The debs earn

their formal presentation to society by fulfilling a six-year commitment

to community service. They will graduate from high school in June and

make their curtsies in December.

Blair, who attends Laguna Beach High School, received the league’s

prestigious Senior Service Award for clocking 1,000 hours of community

service in the past six years.

“By helping others, I was able to discover many things about myself,”

she said.

Blair’s school activities included participating in the Laguna Beach

High Dance Production team, painting a mural for the school art room and

making the honor roll. She used her artistic skills as a member of the

Pageant of the Masters makeup crew and won the Patriots Day Parade

Program Cover Competition. The Laguna Art Museum chose her as class

artist. Blair was recognized by the high school with the Principal’s

Award in Art Studio (ceramics). She was the recipient of the Golden State

Award in geometry and was chosen for Model United Nations.

Her league honors include the Merci Award for most philanthropic hours

in addition to required hours for a single year and the Hourglass, Yellow

Bouquet, Yellow Rose, Yellow Rosebud and Mission Bell awards. She served

as league freshman class president.

Blair is the daughter of Christine and Dr. Douglas Urban.

Ashleigh is the daughter of Linda and Stephen Barker. She attends St.

Margaret’s Episcopal School, where she played varsity tennis for four

years and captained the team, served in student government and was

selected for Model U.N. Honors included Headmaster’s Academic Honor for

four years, AP Scholar and “Who’s Who Among American High School

Students” for three years. She also served as a Congressional Page.

“It isn’t how or what one does that signifies the importance of one’s

service to others but the amount of love and care that goes into what we

do for those who need it most,” said Ashleigh.

Ashleigh’s league awards included the Yellow Rose, Mission Bell and

Mother-Daughter Service.

Besides community service, the National Charity League fosters the

mother-daughter relationship. They join the league together and commit

together to do good works. The mothers are called patronesses. Their

daughters are called Ticktockers.

“The most memorable things I learned through NCR are how important it

is to be involved in making the community better and developing a great

relationship with my mom,” Sonia said.

Sonia played on the Laguna Beach High varsity volleyball team and was

named to the All-League second team. She served as American Field Service

Club president and went to Costa Rica as an exchange student. She was a

peer counselor and belonged to the California Scholarship Federation

Club. She was a Gold Card honor roll student for four years, the

recipient of the Governor’s Scholarship Award and an AP Scholar.

She is the daughter of Marilyn and Mindo Badheka.

Lindsey and Ashley both starred on the Laguna Beach High School girls’

tennis team and are ranked by the United States Tennis Assn.

Ashley was named the Most Valuable Player of the Division V champions

of the Pacific Coast League and All-county second team in her freshman

and sophomore years. She placed third in the USTA Clay Court nationals.

She was the recipient of the USTA Zonals Sportsmanship Award, the Coco

Cola Award as MVP of the Pacific Coast League and a full tennis

scholarship to UC Santa Barbara.

Of her years in the league, Ashley said, “The most significant thing I

learned is knowing what kind of person I am.”

Ashley is the daughter of Tara and Thomas Maddocks.

Lindsey played varsity tennis for four years, during which the Laguna

Beach team won the California Interscholastic Federation finals all four

years, a record. She also played varsity volleyball as well as club

soccer. Lindsey served as Associated Student Body senior vice president,

junior secretary-treasurer, sophomore vice president and frosh secretary,

while earning grades for membership in the National Honor Society.

She is a member of the Impact and Ambassador’s clubs, the California

Scholarship Federation and won Golden State Awards in geometry, biology

and English. She was selected as a homecoming queen.

“The most important thing I have learned during my NCL experience is

take nothing for granted,” Lindsey said.

Lindsey is the daughter of Linda and Kyle Butterwick, director of the

Laguna Beach Community Development Department.

Breyon is the daughter of Carol and Ken Lauher. She danced her way

through Laguna Beach High School as a member of the Laguna Beach High

Dance Production, the Jimmie Defore Dance Center Tap Group and the Kyne

Dance Academy Jazz and Tap Team. She also served as a peer counselor and

was selected for Model U.N. and the Soroptimist International Award

honoring young women for volunteering. She was a member of the Community

Service Club and the recipient of the Principal’s Award for Computer

Microsoft.

Her league awards include Mission Bell and two Yellow Roses. She

teamed with her mother to win the Mother-Daughter Service Award.

“NCL reinforced my strong belief that being a friend and good listener

is far more valuable than anything materialistic you can give,” Breyon

said.

Jessica also performed with the Jimmy Defore Dance Center Group and

with the Laguna Beach High Dance Company. She was a member of the Hip Hop

Club, the Laguna Beach High School Honor Society and the University

Program for High School Scholars. She served as president of the senior

class. She received the Principal’s Award for English and was a Gold Card

and league Mission Bell recipient.

“Helping others has taught me to appreciate every moment of my life,”

Jessica said.

Jessica is the daughter of Pamela and Dr. Gene Levin.

“I enjoyed volunteering and helping others; you can make a

difference,” said Martina.

In addition to volunteering, Martina performed with the Laguna Beach

High School Marching Band and Jazz Ensemble and played softball,

volleyball and soccer for four years and received coaches awards for all

three sports in 2001.

Martina was named to the All League Softball first team in 2001, when

the team won the Pacific Coast League and reached the CIF finals. She was

the recipient of awards for All-County Sportsmanship and as the LBHS

TriSport Athlete and the LBHS Scholar Athlete. She is a member of the

California Scholarship Federation.

She and her mother earned the NCL Mother/Daughter Service Award.

Martina is the daughter of Vaughn and Dr. Eric Speare.

Tributes from the senior girls to their mothers is a touching

highlight of the luncheon. The National Charity League is a philanthropic

organization in which mothers and daughters join forces to help better

their communities.

* Our Laguna is a regular feature of the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot.

Contributions are welcomed. Write to Barbara Diamond, P.O. Box 248,

Laguna Beach, 92652, hand-deliver to 384 Forest Ave., Suite 22; call

494-4321 or fax 494-8979.