Silverado student wins Thompson scholarship

Wednesday, May 18, 2005 | 10:55 a.m.

A Silverado High School student who said she is pursuing journalism as an instrument for positive change won the top scholarship at the annual CLASS! High School Journalism Awards.

Racheal Curtis was awarded the Sandy Thompson Memorial Scholarship (named for the late Las Vegas Sun executive) during a banquet earlier this month. She worked as an intern at CLASS!, a nonprofit monthly publication by and for Clark County high school students.

Gary Thompson, husband of Sandy Thompson, said Racheal is a fitting recipient of the $10,000 scholarship. He quoted a portion of her essay: "In lieu of money, fame, and power, my passion is to serve the public by exposing it to the injustices of others, and if possible, rectify these injustices."

Among the other top winners was Green Valley High School student Rachel Hommel, who won CLASS! Student Journalist of the Year.

Rachel is editor-in-chief of her school's newspaper, The InvestiGator, and has worked for both CLASS! and R-Jeneration. In awarding her the $500 scholarship, judges commended the maturity of Rachel's writing, saying it is on par with that of professional journalists.

Natalie Minev of Community College High School won the $4,000 MGM Mirage Diversity Scholarship. John Stroud, Jr., of Foothill High School won the $1,000 MGM Mirage Achievement Scholarship.

The other winners:

News writing: First Place: Linda Nguyen of Sierra Vista; Second Place: Jeff Barker of Las Vegas Academy; Third Place: Joey Sommers of Coronado; Honorable Mention: Amber Vernos of Centennial.

Feature writing: First Place: Rachel Hommel of Green Valley; Second Place: Natalie Minev of Community College; Third Place: Stephanie Smith of Green Valley; Honorable Mentions: Holly Villamagna of Sierra Vista and Linda Robinson of Foothill.

Editorial writing: First Place: Heather Trujillo of Green Valley; Second Place: Jamie De Soto of Mojave; Third Place: Ana Molina of Las Vegas; Honorable Mentions: Sommerly Simser of Sierra Vista and Evan Smiley of The Meadows School.

Column writing: First Place: Farah Minwalla of Palo Verde; Second Place: Ryan Foley of Green Valley; Third Place: Natalie Minev of Community College; Honorable Mentions: Whitney James of Liberty and Leigh Anne Duncan of Las Vegas Academy.

Review writing: First Place: Jason Anderson of Foothill; Second Place: Jacob Green of Coronado; Third Place: Michael Gobaud of Las Vegas Academy; Honorable Mentions: Trey Scott of Cheyenne and Brad Nelson of Community College.

Sports news writing: First Place: Rickey Lofton of Sierra Vista; Second Place: Patti Starr of Las Vegas Academy; Third Place: Arthur Mayville of Foothill; Honorable Mentions: Amanda Hohman of Basic and Seria Larry of Green Valley.

Sports feature writing: First Place: Ashley Oberling of Sierra Vista; Second Place: Jimmy Tran of Green Valley; Third Place: Stephanie Koniski of Sierra Vista; Honorable Mentions: Roy Erickson of Coronado and Jasmine Oliver of Western.

Sports photography: First Place: Zach Loker of Sierra Vista; Second Place: Rodney Fleming of Foothill; Third Place: Sarah Arata of Centennial; Honorable Mentions: Ashley Oberling of Sierra Vista and Riley Marriage of Coronado.

Non-sports photography: First Place: Bianca Scott of Green Valley; Second Place: Rodney Fleming of Foothill; Third Place: Linda Robinson of Foothill; Honorable Mentions: Ashley Barnes of Centennial and James Tanksley of Community College.

Art and illustration: First Place: Christina Malais of Green Valley; Second Place: Nikie Little of Community College West; Third Place: Grace Lee of Community College; Honorable Mentions: Eliana Ramallo of Community College and Jesus Yepez of Green Valley.

Photo Illustration: First Place: Joey Sommers of Coronado; Second Place: Rachel Hommel of Green Valley; Third Place: Rodney Fleming of Foothill; Honorable Mentions: Jason Emord of Sierra Vista and Ray Morgan of Green Valley.

Editorial cartooning: First Place: Hanna Myers of Faith Lutheran; Second Place: Daniel Clark of Basic; Third Place: Jaci Greb of Green Valley; Honorable Mentions: Will McManus & Ryan Foley of Green Valley and Charles Trujillo of Green Valley.

Issue layout: Reduced format: First Place: Crusader Chronicle, Faith Lutheran; Second Place: The Lariat, Shadow Ridge; Third Place: Voice Box, Community College.

Issue layout: Tabloid format: First Place: Bark!, Centennial; Second Place: The InvestiGator, Green Valley; Third Place: Bird's Eye View, Foothill; Honorable Mention: The Coronado Roar, Coronado.

Publisher's awards:

Concurso de Poesia de Diganos: First Place: Patricia Solorzano of Las Vegas; Second Place: Nilda Alvanez of Centennial; AnaRosa Gonzalez of Western.

Principal of the Year: Ron Montoya, Valley.

Journalism Adviser of the Year: Bill Tobler, Foothill.

Interns of the Year: Whitney James of Liberty and Jamie De Soto of Mojave.