Live Love cleans Chandler and helps Africa

By Brooke Mortensen

July 7, 2010 -- Live Love, a Chandler based non-profit organization, along with students from all over the East Valley, cleaned up struggling areas in downtown Chandler recently and at the same time helped families in the Republic of Malawi, Africa.

Participating students were encouraged to bring $10 donations to go toward the purchase of mosquito nets for the country, a landlocked, tiny sliver of a country located south of the Horn of Africa.

Live Love founder Paul Gunther Jr. will be taking 20 to 25 students with him to Malawi to buy the nets and then personally distribute them from hut to hut. A documentary is being made about the project.

“We are really letting the students take ownership by going to Malawi, Africa, buying the nets in the local market and in turn helping their economy,” Gunther says.

Live Love members are committed to changing the world around them by living lives of love.

“I think it is important for students to learn how easy it is to serve in their community and on a global scale,” Gunther says. “Getting these nets will be a huge change for families there. Because of the nets the families will virtually be malaria-free for four years.”

Live Love’s main “Live Love Day” is held in October. For more information call 480-272-9929 or visit whatislivelove.com.

PHOTOS: Courtesy of Scott Kelly, Black Dog Promotions

50 Arizona students named Kids Who Care winners

June 30, 2010 — Fifty Arizona youths were recognized recently as Kohl's Kids Who Care winners.

The students will each receive a $50 gift card and recognition certificate from Kohl’s to reward volunteer efforts that have made a positive impact on their communities.

“It is a privilege to be able to recognize the selfless acts of these stand-up kids that have touched the lives of countless others across the country,” said Julie Gardner, Kohl’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer.  

More than 2,100 kids nationwide were recognized for making a difference in their communities through volunteering. Winners qualify for the chance to receive a $1,000 regional scholarship for post-secondary education, which Kohl’s will award in July. Of the more than 200 regional winners, 10 national winners will each receive a total of $10,000 in scholarships and Kohl’s will donate $1,000 to a nonprofit organization on each national winner’s behalf. In total, Kohl’s will award more than 2,100 nominees with more than $410,000 in scholarships and prizes this year,

Find a list of the Arizona winners.

Learn more about the Kohl's Kids Who Care program.

Seton Catholic students attend Arizona Girls State

June 23, 2010 — Seton Catholic Preparatory students (from left) Liz Blaser, Mariam Polo-Petros and Kaitlyn Fitzgerald attended the Arizona Girls State program held recently at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

Blaser was voted a City Councilman and also Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. She was awarded "Outstanding County Official" at the closing ceremony. Polo-Petros and Fitzgerald were both Senators. All three girls will be seniors at Seton Catholic Preparatory High School in the fall.

Arizona Girls State is a citizenship training program in which auxiliary members guide students toward a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the privilege of U.S. citizenship. Girls State offers training in self government and good citizenship as practiced in a democratic society.

Each summer, the "citizens" study local county and state government processes by setting up their own miniature city, county and state governments and administering them according to the laws of their particular state. The citizens are divided into two political parties, often named the Nationalist and Federalists, to help them gain knowledge about the operations of a two-party system.

Seton Catholic Preparatory High School is located at 1150 N. Dobson Rd., in Chandler. 480-963-1900 or setoncatholic.org.

Gilbert Student Competes on Kids Jeopardy

June 16, 2010 — Gilbert Junior High School student Andrea Salt will be competing on "Kids Jeopardy" July 6.

Salt was one of 15 students chosen from more than 10,000 in the United States who tried out to participate on the show. The process included an online test, auditions and a mock game of "Jeopardy." One criterion for selection was how comfortable the students appeared on camera.

“I watch 'Jeopardy' all the time and actually tried out once before, but never got called back,” Salt said. “So when I tried out this time, I figured it would be the same. But I got on the show and it was amazing!”

Salt, along with her mom, dad and grandmother, traveled to Los Angeles to film the episode March 8.

“Usually when my family goes to L.A. we drive, but they flew us there and that was neat in itself," she said. "We stayed in a really nice hotel, but they made us get up early to be picked up by 7:15 a.m., which I thought was kind of early. They took me to the studio and filmed some stuff for information, then we got to relax and eat cupcakes and soda for breakfast — which my mom never lets me do — and then we filmed the show.”

Outside of studies, Salt participates in amateur radio, knits and reads. In the future, she hopes to attend Auburn University in Auburn, Ala., and become a veterinarian.

The episode will air at 4:30pm Tuesday, July 6 on Channel 15.

Art portfolio earns scholarship for Kellis senior

By Brooke Mortensen

June 9, 2010 — A $15,000 scholarship to the Art Institute of Phoenix was awarded to Raymond S. Kellis High School senior Lisa Lara for her overall portfolio in the recent Visual Art Student Competition. The competition showcases the finest examples of art from middle school and high school artists in Arizona.

“It was great to win,” Lisa says. “It was a great feeling to know that I earned that and that they were telling me that I deserve this.”

Lisa’s portfolio is made up of eight pieces in multiple mediums including paint, pencil, colored pencil, photography, cut-out paper, ink and pastels.

Art instructors at the schools are allowed to enter two pieces of their students' art and one student portfolio. Lisa’s instructor, Julie Flaherty, entered the work.

“Lisa has been in my art class for four years and shown a lot of interest in art and fashion design,” Flaherty says. “She has been super creative since day one.”

Also representing Raymond S. Kellis High School were junior Aaron Murillo and senior Maria Zunzunigui. Zunzunigui got Best of Show in the two-dimensional category and Students' Choice award for her charcoal, “Stens.”

PHOTOS: Examples of Lisa Lara's work in different media. 

Sixth-grade swimmer to compete in Peru

By Brooke Mortensen

June 9, 2010 — Sixth grader Olivia Ekberg from Carol Rae Ranch Elementary School recently qualified for the USA Synchronized Swimming National Team. Ekberg placed third overall in the country.

“It felt good. I felt like I could do anything and like I was on top of the world,” Ekberg says.

This summer, Ekberg will travel to Lima, Peru, along with nine other American athletes to compete in the Pan American Games. She will be representing the United States in her age group.

“I am scared and nervous [about competing in Peru], but really excited to compete internationally,” Ekberg says.

At the Pan American Games, Ekberg will compete in several different categories including solo, duet, team and figure competitions.

“I want Olivia to have a wonderful experience, to grow as an athlete and to learn more about herself and the country she’s representing,” says Lorette Haynes, head coach for Olivia's local club team, The Arizona Desert Dolphins. “I want her to leave the competition feeling motivated, inspired and excited about her future in synchronized swimming.”

Golf tournament scores big

June 2, 2010 — Sandra Day O’Connor High School sophomore Tanner Field spent a good part of his spring semester preparing for a golf tournament But he wasn't working to perfect his swing.

Tanner gathered more than 100 community volunteers and sponsors to help with a non-profit event at the Futures Golf Course at the 500 Club in Glendale. Then he invited 40 intellectually disabled Special Olympics golf athletes to play.

“I had the opportunity to caddy for the state Special Olympics last summer and I saw how great and positive it all was so I wanted to show this community how great these athletes are,” says Tanner.

Volunteers paired up with special athletes as their caddies and scorekeepers. They also helped run a skills competition where each athlete shot a short putt, long putt and chip to see who got closest to a target. The points were then tallied up.

“So many wonderful volunteers came out and helped in a variety of ways, from setting up [to] making signs, helping with registration, helping with the food banquet, [being] gallery spectators, cleaning up and of course [being] caddies and scorekeepers,” Tanner says. “The seventh and eighth grade baseball students from my old junior high, Hillcrest Middle School, all came out and volunteered to be caddies. It was such a great experience for them, as well as all the volunteers, to see and interact with these athletes who show so much enthusiasm and passion for the game.”

Each player received an award at a banquet following the tournament.

“There is absolutely nothing like seeing each and everyone of these athletes receiving awards with the biggest smiles on their faces," Tanner says. "I wanted to make it special for them so I had podiums there and played the Olympic song as they came up and received their awards."

One athlete pointed at his medal and grasped his trophy tightly as he told Tanner's mom, "This trophy is so special to me. I have some medals like this one, but I have never ever got a trophy like this! This is going in a very special place in my room! Thank you so much."

"That alone makes the whole tournament worth it," says Tanner, who hopes to hold more tournaments like this one in the future.

PHOTOS: Tanner Field and athlete Jared Carter (above); Tanner with athlete Danny Daguanno (below).

Neely Traditional Academy sixth grader wins storymaker contest

May 26 — Anthony Mirabito, a sixth grade student at Neely Traditional Academy, won first place in the fiction category during the recent Qwest Storymakers Middle School Writing Contest. His story, “Ransack Revenge,” is about gorillas that mess up a boy’s clean room and his quest to hunt them down with a Nerf gun.

“I had read a book about gorillas and started thinking about them and thinking about how dirty my room was and that’s what I came up with,” Mirabito said.

The contest was open to all Arizona sixth, seventh and eighth grade students and more than 1,400 entries were received. One first place winner was chosen from each grade level in fiction, non-fiction and poetry.

“I got the email that I had won and I never expected to win,” Mirabito said. “I was astonished and felt like a million bucks.”

For winning, Mirabito got to participate in an author’s workshop with local fiction writer Terri Fields. He also received a personal Netbook laptop.

“Terri Fields talked about all the basics of writing and what is important to include and how to develop your characters and what you need to have in your writing to have a good quality story,” Mirabito said.

Mirabito plans to continue his writing and someday become an author.

Tucson student wins Presidential Scholar Award

By Brooke Mortensen 

May 19, 2010 — University High School student Daniel Fried of Tucson has been chosen as a 2010 U.S. Presidential Scholar. Those chosen are American high school seniors who have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement, artistic excellence, leadership, citizenship and service at school and in their community.

A total of 141 U.S. Presidential Scholars are named each year, including one male and one female from each state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and U.S. families living abroad. From that group, 15 overall winners and 20 Presidential Scholars in the Arts are recognized.

“I think what really set me apart was getting involved in school activities and getting involved in community service through my church,” Fried said.

The Scholars will be honored in Washington, D.C. from June 19 to 22. They will be presented with medallions, visit the Kennedy Center and participate in other cultural activities while touring the sites of the nation's capitol.

Presidential Scholars are asked to invite their most inspiring and challenging teachers to travel with them to receive a Teacher Recognition Award from the U.S. Department of Education. Fried chose Mark Olbin of Lineweaver Elementary School in Tucson.

“He was my fifth grade teacher and really made an impact,” Fried said. “He told me that he asked himself every day if he would want to be a student in his own classroom and I am just really grateful for the foundation he gave me to build on.”

Fried will attend the University of Arizona in the fall and plans on studying computer science and economics.

28 National Anthem performances in four years

By Brooke Mortensen

May 19, 2010 — Twelve-year-old Payton Stanley of Scottsdale sang her 28th National Anthem at a Phoenix Suns game last month. Payton attends Copper Ridge Middle School and Voices: A Music and Arts Studio, where she also studies piano and guitar.

Stanley was discovered at open auditions for the Phoenix Suns when she was just 8 years old.

“It was great getting discovered so young and very surprising,” Payton says. “All of the sports teams and fans are so great because once you get done singing, they go crazy and it makes me feel so happy, like I did something great.”

Outside of singing, Stanley is also a competitive cheer athlete for American Elite, a barrel racer and part of the keyboard ensemble at her school.

“All my life I have been a multi-tasker and now I have just kind of grown and learned how to deal with going from place to place and still getting good grades in school,” Payton says. “I can’t really choose just one thing to do, I just have to do a little bit of everything.”

One thing she has decided on is her hope to make a career out of singing.

“When I am older I really want to become a cross-over recording artist like Taylor Swift because I like a little bit of country, pop and R&B,” Payton says.

Also this spring: performances for the Arizona Diamondbacks, a spring showcase at Voices, a solo for her Copper Ridge Middle School’s graduation and the Hot Pipes voice competition. Her past performances can be viewed on YouTube.

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