Farrah Stern, 23, of Morgan Hill, has been accepted into the
Peace Corps in Micronesia, a cluster of islands in the western
Pacific Ocean. Stern departs Sept. 1 to begin a two-year assignment
in Teaching English and a Second Language and community
development. Stern is a 2005 graduate of Presentation High School
in San Jose. She received a bachelor’s degree in political science
from UC Santa Cruz this year.
Morgan Hill woman joins the Peace Corps
Farrah Stern, 23, of Morgan Hill, has been accepted into the Peace Corps in Micronesia, a cluster of islands in the western Pacific Ocean. Stern departs Sept. 1 to begin a two-year assignment in Teaching English and a Second Language and community development.
Stern is a 2005 graduate of Presentation High School in San Jose. She received a bachelor’s degree in political science from UC Santa Cruz this year.
“The emphasis on volunteerism, cross-cultural relationship building, and sustainable development are key factors in why I chose to serve in Peace Corps,” Stern said. “I joined to have the rare opportunity of complete immersion in a different culture and I think Peace Corps is an amazing option to serve our country.”
Stern will spend her first three months of service in training, living with a host family and studying Micronesia’s language and culture. After training, she will begin a two-year assignment, living in the style of the people in her new community.
Peace Corps is a 27-month commitment. Volunteers must be U.S. citizens, at least 18 years old, and in good health. There is no upper age limit to serve. More information and online applications are available at www.peacecorps.gov.
Residents receive discounts to install solar, benefit charity
SunWize Residential Power Systems, a solar installation division of SunWize Technologies, Inc., has initiated its first Solar Challenge in California with the city of Morgan Hill. To spur widespread adoption of renewable energy and to benefit a local charity, the Morgan Hill Solar Challenge aims to add 60,000 watts of clean solar energy to the city’s power production in 100 days.
The Morgan Hill Solar Challenge kicked off April 22, and will conclude July 31. SunWize is offering cash back to Morgan Hill solar customers and a $6,000 donation to the Morgan Hill Community Foundation, a public charity focused on improving the quality of life in the greater Morgan Hill region, when the 60,000 watt goal is reached.
“We at the Morgan Hill Community Foundation are pleased about the potential donation from SunWize to support the local community and people of Morgan Hill,” says Bob Lipscomb, board member of the Morgan Hill Community Foundation.
For the duration of the Solar Challenge, SunWize is offering cash back to each participant. The cash back amount starts at $100 and will increase in increments of $10 with each additional participant. For example, if 30 households sign up for solar systems, each will receive a check for $400, up to a maximum cash back amount of $500. Coupled with existing state rebates and the federal tax credit, this program can cover more than half of a system’s cost.
Morgan Hill AAUW awards local scholarships
The Morgan Hill Branch of the American Association of University Women has awarded its 2010 scholarships to three local high school girls and two Gavilan Community College women. Funds for the scholarships come from proceeds of the annual AAUW Wildflower Run held each spring.
Scholarships of $1,000 each were given to seniors Jennifer Protsman, Live Oak High School; Calissa Hanson, Sobrato High School; and Aida Rodriguez, Central High School. Criteria for the awards include commitment to learning and work or volunteer experience. Each applicant had to respond to written questions and compose a brief essay. Finalists were interviewed and the winners selected by the branch scholarship committee.
Protsman will attend University of California, San Diego, where she will study cognitive science. Hanson will enroll at Brigham Young University and major in secondary education with an emphasis on math and science. Rodriguez will go to Gavilan College and intends to go into nursing.
The scholarships will also be given to local residents Claudia Ortiz and Tamara Chukes, who are students at Gavilan Community College. Both received impressive recommendations from their instructors and plan to continue their education at a four-year institution in the fall of 2011.
Ortiz is a math major whose goal is to become a civil engineer. She is the mother of three children. Chukes is studying general business, which she hopes will lead to a career in human resource management or to starting her own business.
Details: www.aauw-morganhill.org.
Gilroy Elks awards $6,000 in scholarships
Gilroy Elks Lodge #1567, as part of the Elks National Youth Week, honored six graduating seniors from San Martin and Morgan Hill for their achievements and awarded them $6,000 in scholarships May 6.
Live Oak High School senior Jessica Liang received $1,000 from the Gilroy Elks and $4,000 from the Elks National Foundation. Other receipts included: Live Oak High School seniors Travis Parsons, Aaron Persing, Marissa Campi and Morgan Coleman who all received a $1,000 scholarship from the Gilroy Elks and $800 from the California-Hawaii Elks State Association. Valley Christian senior Daniel Huffman from Morgan Hill also received a $1,000 Gilroy Elks scholarship as well as $800 from the California-Hawaii Elks State Association.
The Elks National Foundation will award $2.3 million in scholarships this year to 500 seniors. The Elks are second only to the federal government in awarding scholarships. In addition, nationwide the local Lodges, the district and State Elks Associations award more than $1 million in scholarships.
Prevent summer set back and make a splash – read
Research shows children who read at least six books during the summer perform better when they return to school in the fall. Children who do not read during the summer have been found to lose almost three months of reading skills during the summer.
What can be done to encourage children to keep reading and prevent summer set-back? Make sure they have time to read every day, let them read something they enjoy, read aloud to them, be a good reading role model, and sign up the family for the library’s Summer Reading Club.
The library has a Summer Reading Club for children, teens and adults.
Entertaining and enlightening events will be held throughout the summer. Drop in and pick up a flyer or go online for a full listing of summer events. The Morgan Hill Library is located at 660 W. Main Ave.
Details: 779-3196 or go online www.santaclaracountylib.org/morganhill.
