Mary Rathman

Students earn record number of recognitions at State Science and Engineering Fair
Of 25 Pasco County students earning the chance to compete in the state science and engineering fair, 16 received a total of 19 awards, the most in the county’s history.

Area winners were:

• Pranov Warmen, Academy at the Lakes, first place mathematics
• Roshan Warmen, Academy at the Lakes, second place physics
• Nalin Mehra, Long Middle School, fourth place environmental
• Anmol Warmen, Academy at the Lakes, honorable mention chemistry
• Regan McCormick, Academy at the Lakes, honorable mention medicine
• Kyla Huelle, Rushe Middle School, recognition zoology

Local students receiving scholarships and special awards were:

• Regan McCormick, Academy at the Lakes, Florida Institute of Technology scholarship
• Pranov Warmen, Academy at the Lakes, New College of Florida scholarship
• Nura Abujbara, Wiregrass Ranch High School, Florida Museum of Natural History award
• Kevin Cheng, Wiregrass Ranch High School, Palm Beach Regional Science & Engineering Fair award
• Neto Coulibaly, Wiregrass Ranch High School, Florida Association of Science Supervisors award
• Sarah Menard, Rushe Middle School, Palm Beach Regional Science & Engineering Fair award

Community Awareness Series at PHSC
Pasco-Hernando State College will offer its Community Awareness Series for the summer term. Guests can learn about health and human services programs provided by local agencies in Pasco County.

All sessions last about an hour and will be at the Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Deanna Krautner, health education program manager for Florida Department of Health in Pasco County, will present the first seminar in the series on May 21 at 4:30 p.m.

Upcoming seminars will be presented by Grace Maselli, president of National Alliance on Mental Illness Pasco County on June 11; and Sheri Lawrence, vice president of Pasco Mental Health Foundation Inc., on July 9.

For information, visit PHSC.edu/calendar.

Local students graduate Youth Leadership Pasco
The Youth Leadership Pasco Class of 2015 had its graduation ceremony at Heritage Springs Golf & Country Club. Thirty-five outstanding student leaders represented 16 public, private and charter high schools in Pasco County.

Youth Leadership Pasco is a leadership development program that informs, motivates and increases the awareness of selected high school-aged students through issue-oriented seminars and interaction with community leaders.

Class members participate in full-day program sessions, tours and candid conversations with community leaders on topics such as law enforcement, criminal justice, health care, government, economic development, media, education and career development

Local students in the 2015 graduating class were Ashley Allen and Spencer Brass of Wesley Chapel High School; Christopher Brown of Zephyrhills High School; Amy Deeb, Alicia Megnath and Torrie Pound of Sunlake High School; Sean Godinez of Land O’ Lakes High School; Thea Henry and Christian Rodriguez of Wiregrass Ranch High School; Nicholas Phillips of Bishop McLaughlin High School; and Maggie Plourde and Rebecca Taylor of Pasco High School.

Applications for the Youth Leadership Class of 2016 will be available in August.

For information, call (727) 534-4280, or visit LeadershipPasco.com.

Student Citizens recognized
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce recognized Student Citizens at an April ceremony. Students are selected for exemplary effort, achievement and contribution to their school, family and community.

Those honored were Bayllon Matson, Heritage Academy; Savannah Baptist, West Zephyrhills Elementary School; Andy Denton, The Broach School; Brooke Schulman, Zephyrhills High School; Johnathan Guy, Woodland Elementary School; Evan Burnside, Hope Learning Academy; Serenity Rommel, Taylor Elementary School; Aysia Sobers, East Pasco Adventist Academy; and Mariah Feliciano, Stewart Middle School.

Scholarship info for deaf students
Sertoma Speech & Hearing Foundation of Florida Inc., and Deaflinx, an online resource for information on deafness, deaf culture and American Sign Language, are teaming up to provide information on educational scholarships to persons who are hard of hearing.

For a listing of 30 scholarships and grants, visit Vicaps.com/scholarship-information.php.

GTE Financial accepting scholarship applications
GTE Financial’s Scholarship Program is now accepting applications from graduating high school seniors and college undergraduates for $2,500 scholarships.

Applications will be evaluated on the level of extracurricular community service involvement, essay content and academic achievements.

To apply, students must be a GTE Financial member and the primary account holder at the time of submission, and must be a graduating high school senior or an undergraduate student continuing to pursue an undergraduate degree.

Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater, and be attending courses full-time at an accredited two-year or four-year college or university, and demonstrate a commitment to community service.

Scholarship awards may be applied to tuition, fees, books, supplies and/or equipment required in the pursuit of a degree.

The deadline to apply is June 3.

For information and to apply, visit GTEFinancial.org/student.

Mitchell High class reunion
There will be a Mitchell High School class of 2005 reunion on June 6 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., at Jackson’s Bistro, 601 S. Harbour Island Blvd., in Tampa.

The cost of the cocktail reception is $75 per person and includes a three-hour open bar, hors d’oeuvres, sushi bar and a deejay. Also included is a complimentary wristband for an after-party at Backjack’s Lounge and Island bar.

All Mitchell High faculty, staff and alumni are invited.

For information, visit EventBrite.com/e/jw-mitchell-high-school-co-2005-reunion-tickets-13321140891.

Free summer VPK program
Primrose School at Collier Parkway, 23021 Weeks Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes, is offering a free summer voluntary pre-kindergarten program for eligible families and their children. The program is for those who have not yet used their VPK voucher.

Applications are being accepted. Classes begin on June 15 and run through Aug. 10.

VPK hours will be from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with an hour of rest at 12:30 p.m.

For information, call Angella Hart at (813) 242-7800.