Community: Rotarians award a round of scholarships

Making goals, and how doing so leads to success, was the theme during the Glendale Noon Rotary Club meeting last Thursday at the Hilton Glendale.

President Bill Knauf welcomed members and guests, and then Tye Veden, chairman of the Glendale Noon Rotary Foundation, introduced Glady Kabateck, counselor emeritus of Glendale Community College, who read the biographies of three GCC students receiving scholarships. Before retiring, Kabateck worked at GCC for 23 years as coordinator of the Adult Re-entry Program, where she assisted new and returning students at the college, especially those who have been away from school for many years.

“You have helped so many students over the years,” Kabateck said, adding that the need grows every year. “This year, the college received 1,150 scholarship applications.”

The college scholarship committee recommended more than 35 students to the Noon Rotary Club and members decided on the top three, Kabateck said.

Receiving scholarships were Rashon Washington, who is majoring in architecture; Natalia Garcia, who is working toward becoming a dental hygienist; and Steven Vu, who is majoring in computer science and business administration.

Washington said in his application that he hit a lot of speed bumps along the way to getting into college and determining a major. But it has led him to become the man he is today, he said.

At GCC he has been president of the American Society of Architects and Engineers, chairman of the Environmental Affairs organization and student board member of the California Student Sustainability Coalition. He helped fight for student discounts for the Beeline bus service when the prices were raised for the community. He has a 3.18 grade-point average.

Garcia is a re-entry student at GCC. She is a single parent and sole supporter of an 8-year-old son and works full time at a law office. She is involved in activities with her son and serves as a board member and has held many positions with the American Youth Soccer Organization and has been an assistant to the den leader of her son’s Cub Scout troop.

Vu graduated from Hoover High School in 2010. He has been a hard-working student who balances a job tutoring children while maintaining a 4.0 GPA, he said. He plans to transfer to USC. If he had had more time to donate to the community, he said he would like to tutor children “because like my current job, I find it rewarding to help children succeed in life and to be able to set an example that any goal can be achieved if you are determined to succeed.”

Guest speaker was Charles Eastman, who has been an adjunct professor for the visual and performing arts department at GCC for 15 years. Eastman had been laid off after a longtime career in advertising. After his wife suggested he return to college, he found himself in Glady Kabateck’s re-entry office, and she and her husband Jack gave him the encouragement and self-confidence to move forward, he said.

He received a scholarship from the Glendale Noon Rotary Foundation, took graphic arts classes at GCC and became an adjunct professor there.

“It is all about perseverance,” Eastman said. “Thank you, God bless you Rotarians. I love you.”

Hospital accredited for 25th year

Rosemont Pet Hospital in La Crescenta is celebrating its 25th year of accreditation by the American Animal Hospital Assn. It has voluntarily submitted for this designation every year since 1987.

“I would like to congratulate Rosemont Pet Hospital on vigilantly keeping up with advancements in veterinary medicine and adhering to the association’s high standards for the past 25 years,” said Michael Cavanaugh, a veterinarian and the association’s executive director. “They are clearly committed to doing their very best, as evidenced by the hard work and effort they put into this voluntary process.”

The association is the only organization in the United States and Canada that accredits companion animal hospitals based on standards that go above and beyond state regulations. The group’s Standards of Accreditation contain more than 900 individual standards divided into 19 sections. These areas of focus include patient care and pain management, surgery, pharmacy, laboratory, exam facilities, medical records, cleanliness, emergency services, dental care, diagnostic imaging, anesthesiology and continuing education.

Only 15% of all small-animal hospitals in the U.S. have achieved accreditation by the association, officials said.

Americanism Awards presented

The Kiwanis Club of Glendale continued its longtime tradition of presenting its Americanism Awards to eighth-graders at the Glendale Unified School District office on May 1. Representing the club was President Susie Dell. Member Richard Jouroyan started the program in 1994.

Winners were: Holy Family Grade School, Maryam Eapen and Dorothy Kim; Toll Middle School, Siranush Martirosyan and Arman Aloyan; Rosemont Middle School, Andrea Han and Hee Yeon Kwon; Roosevelt Middle School, Kharchatur Cherkezyan and David Ramirez; and Wilson Middle School, Melineh Hovankimian and Jerod Salomon.

Students were asked to use multimedia formats to illustrate the curriculum-related question, “What does the Bill of Rights mean to me and those close to me?”

Each winner received a flag that had been flown over the U.S. Capitol, a $50 check and numerous certificates from local government representatives. Their teachers received a $25 gift card.

JOYCE RUDOLPH can be reached at rudolphjoyce10@gmail.com.