Calabasas High grads are off to a good start





FINANCIAL BACKING—Calabasas High School senior Adam Sharma receives his ROTC scholarship check.

FINANCIAL BACKING—Calabasas High School senior Adam Sharma receives his ROTC scholarship check.

While most students at the 2012 Calabasas High Senior Awards Night ceremony on June 4 received $200 to $1,000 to help jump-start their college careers, aspiring U.S. Army officer Adam Sharma got a $54,658 check from the Army Reserves Officer Training Corps to fund his studies at UCLA’s military sciences program.

A commended Merit Scholar with more than 200 hours of community service, Adam plans to begin his military career in the infantry and join the Special Forces.

“Becoming an officer in the army would be a great honor and privilege,” said the CHS graduate, who competed against 25,000 applicants to receive one of about 2,300 ROTC scholarships.

The corps looks for young men and women who are competitive scholars, athletes and leaders.

“Adam Sharma has demonstrated exceptional leadership potential,” said Capt. Sid Mendoza, of the UCLA ROTC program.

Many other nonprofit groups, businesses, clubs and individuals participated in the recent Senior Awards ceremony. Beneficiaries were acknowledged for community service and involvement, grades and other achievements.

School officials introduced salutatorian Michael Lewis, valedictorian Eric Brownrout and senior Jesse Morner Ritt, who were chosen to speak at the school’s June 13 commencement ceremony, where 426 students received diplomas.

“We don’t manufacture anything and we don’t grow crops in Calabasas, but every year we send 400 very well-educated graduates to colleges and universities throughout the country,” Councilmember Fred Gaines said.

“We expect that . . . you’ll do good for yourselves and your family but also pay it forward,” he said before presenting a $500 scholarship to Taylor Boucher.

To commemorate a 37-year career in the local school district, Superintendent Donald Zimring and his wife, Carolyn, instituted a new scholarship fund benefiting students in Las Virgenes Unified School District.

The awards are for “students who understand . . . that our society is built upon people who are willing to serve,” said Zimring, who will serve as head of school at Brandeis Hillel Day School, a private Jewish school. The superintendent gave $500 awards to Alex Silver and Max Levinson.

“Alex has been giving back to the Calabasas community since long before high school began,” Zimring said. Alex volunteered as prime tech support for the annual Relay For Life, participated in fundraisers for ovarian cancer and Operation Smile, and organized an event to raise money for returning soldiers.

At CHS, Alex implemented electronic voting and other online media for the student body organization. The faculty also turned to him for help integrating technology into their classroom. More recently, Zimring said, district officials later Alex as a tech adviser. The school district has never hired a student to be a regular employee before, Zimring said.

An honor roll student, Alex will attend the University of California, Irvine to study informatics.

Max, the other Zimring scholarship recipient, will study biology at Emery University in Georgia. Aside from being an outstanding student, he spearheaded a charitable program called Calabasas Cares, a high school club which collected used books for less fortunate children.

Zimring awarded the Schuyler Joiner Teaching Scholarship to Alexandra Bell.

The Calabasas Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with Ron Brown of the Calabasas Mercedes Benz dealership, gave out $1,000 scholarships to seniors Alex Magged and Maria Navarro.

“Maria exemplified what being a good Calabasas citizen is all about,” Brown said. The Colombia native will attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to major in agriculture and business.

Alex was chosen for his talents in math and athletics. He was captain of the CHS varsity volleyball team, statistician for the CHS basketball team and sports commissioner on the Associated Student Body. The graduate will attend University of Michigan.

“With his talent, interests and skills Alex will be a great success in whatever the future holds for him,” Brown said.


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