The Garden Grove City Council brought attention to two scholars from Garden Grove Unified and their achievements during a meeting this week.
Bolsa Grande High School junior Phillip Nguyen was selected by the U.S. Department of State to participate in the National Security Language Initiative for Youth program, which provides critical language study overseas and equips students with the linguistic skills and cultural knowledge to become leaders in a globalized world.
Phillip competed with thousands of applicants from high schools across the country and was one of more than 100 students to earn a scholarship. He aspires to become a U.S. diplomat in the Foreign Service.
The council also recognized La Quinta High School senior James Nguyen, who was accepted into the prestigious Rise Global Winners program after developing a prototype for an early cancer-detecting toothbrush.
James said he felt called to conduct this research after his grandmother died from cancer a short time after he emigrated to the U.S. from Vietnam, where she lived.
“We are so proud of both of you,” said Council member Cindy Tran. “We are impressed by all of your accomplishments. Good luck and best wishes from all of us.”
Here are the other stories we’ve been following this week:
- The academic decathlon team from Irvine Unified’s Woodbridge High School is heading to the California Academic Decathlon to face other top-scoring teams after winning its seventh county championship.
- Eight high-performing middle schools in Orange County were designations by the state as 2023 California Schools to Watch. The program recognizes campuses for engaging communities in supporting all students’ learning.
- Students as young as transitional kindergarteners will soon be learning and speaking Mandarin in the Anaheim Elementary School District, which is expanding its dual language immersion program for the 2023-24 academic year.
- A Laguna Beach High senior who is living with blindness and epilepsy will be included in a lineup of national anthem singers for the Los Angeles Angels’ upcoming season.
- The Laguna Beach Unified School District Board of Education recognized the district’s employees of the year, along with students participating in arts and athletic programs, at a meeting in February.
- Students in Laguna Beach had the opportunity to listen to and learn from the artistic director of the Laguna Beach Music Festival and a professional violinist this week. The duo played famous pieces and fielded questions from the inquisitive students.
- A Placentia-Yorba Linda alumna was selected to serve as one of four honorary coin toss captains at the opening of Super Bowl LVII.
- Organized by a parent teacher association, students at Lee Elementary in the Los Alamitos Unified School District collected more than 1,000 pairs of new socks for people experiencing homelessness.
- The Orange County Board of Education is expected to vote on whether to approve a charter school’s request to expand and to establish a new campus in Cypress within the Los Alamitos Unified School District.
- The final design renderings of the new 20,000-square-foot performing arts complex at Estancia High School were unveiled to Newport-Mesa Unified officials. The new building will feature a 250-seat theater, green room, lobby and other rooms.
- A fund named after a late Huntington Beach High School Model United Nations teacher helped two students who were in need of financial help to travel to a conference held at Harvard University.
- Youth volunteers from Dana Hills High School will join a nonprofit to advocate for underage drinking prevention by placing stickers on multi-packs of alcoholic drinks at participating liquor stores.
- Orange Unified School District interim Superintendent Edward Velasquez announced his departure after being appointed six weeks ago. As the OC Register reported, the executive cabinet will lead the district while the school board begins the process of hiring a permanent superintendent.
- The COVID-19 vaccine was added to the recommended immunization schedule for children and adolescents. As EdSource reported, the schedule offers parents and healthcare providers guidance but does not mandate the vaccines.
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