3:00pm | Some of Long Beach’s finest students will stay local as they move on to college, as eight local high school valedictorians will be a part of the prestigious President’s Scholars program when they enroll at California State University Long Beach (CSULB) this fall. Each student in the program receives a full scholarship to attend the university.
“The President’s Scholars Program at Cal State Long Beach continues to be a state and nationally recognized scholarship program for many of the brightest and most talented students in California,” said CSULB President F. King Alexander, in a press release.
High school valedictorians from Long Beach Poly, Millikan, Wilson, Cabrillo, Lakewood, St. John Bosco and Brethren Christian High in Huntington Beach will take advantage of the scholarship worth $50,000 over the next four years. Started in 1995, the President’s Scholars program is an effective method of keeping excellent students local. More than 1,000 students from 41 of 58 counties in California have participated in fifteen years.
The students receive allowances for general student fees, books and housing on campus. They also receive priority registration, personal counseling and more.
“The program is extremely competitive,” said Alexander. “Each year, we receive hundreds of applications for these scholarships, but this year only 30 students were selected to be part of this incoming group of scholastically outstanding individuals.”
The full list of local incoming President’s Scholars and a description of the student is provided below by CSULB:
Brooke Bemowski of Long Beach was a valedictorian in the Class of 2010 at Millikan High School. The daughter of Mark and Kimberly Bemowski of Long Beach, Brooke is planning to major in liberal studies with a career goal of becoming an elementary school teacher.
Dao Duong of Long Beach was a valedictorian in the Class of 2010 at Long Beach Poly High. The daughter of Luat Duong of Long Beach, Dao has declared a major in biochemistry and hopes to become a physician.
Allison Gallagher of Lakewood was a valedictorian in the Class of 2010 at Wilson Classical High. The daughter of Rob and Kimry Gallagher of Lakewood, Allison is looking to major in biology/ physiology with a career goal of becoming a doctor.
Brittany Lim of Long Beach was a valedictorian in the Class 2010 at Brethren Christian High in Huntington Beach. The daughter of Daniel and Terry Lim of Long Beach, Brittany has declared a major in business administration with a focus on human resources management.
Juan Montano of Long Beach was a valedictorian in the Class of 2010 at Juan Cabrillo High School. The son of Victoriana Carrillo of Long Beach, Montano is planning to major in biomedical and clinical engineering and also has an interest in aerospace engineering.
Emon Perl of Long Beach was a valedictorian in the Class of 2010 at Lakewood High School. The son of Randy and Farnaz Perl, Emon is planning to major in biochemistry with hopes of becoming an oral surgeon.
Emily Pelonis of Lakewood was a valedictorian in the Class of 2010 at Millikan High School. The daughter of Peter and Catherine Pelonis of Lakewood, Emily has declared a major in communicative disorders with a future career goal of becoming a special education teacher.
Jason Pillon of Long Beach was a valedictorian in the Class of 2010 at St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower. The son of Tom and Kathleen Pillon of Long Beach, Jason is looking to major in biochemistry and/or cell and molecular biology.