Ceremony salutes scholarship winners

Last November, Amanda Fleming began applying for scholarships.

And in the course of her senior year at Carson High School - in the spare minutes she found to dig into her binder, work on her applications and meet scholarship deadlines - she applied for nearly 40.

"I need money for college," she said. "My parents aren't paying for any of it."

Fleming and about 90 other students will receive their scholarships Thursday at Carson High School's evening awards program called "Salute to Scholars."

The program begins at 7 p.m. in Senator Square and the hour-and-a-half ceremony is open to the public.

"There are a couple of students who are receiving 10 or 11 scholarships," said Cindy Watty, a Carson High School guidance counselor. "We invited all of the seniors who have been either offered a scholarship or are accepting a scholarship and their parents, of course, to attend.

"We have representatives from a lot of organizations who are coming to present to the students right there," Watty said. "If they can't be there, we'll present the scholarships to students."

Fleming's scholarships include: $2,000 from Best Buy; $1,000 from John Ascuaga's Nugget; $500 from D'Ascoli Health; $1,000 from the American Association of University Women; $1,000 from the Larry Holloway Memorial Scholarship; $1,000 from the Clergy Child's Scholarship and $5,500 from Azusa Pacific University.

That's $12,000 for her freshman year of college at Azusa Pacific University, a private Christian University 26 miles northeast of Los Angeles, where she will study for a bachelor's degree in science and become a registered nurse. But the cost of attending is much more.

"My tuition is $20,000 a year," she said. "I'll just have to take out loans. The music department at (Azusa) hasn't contacted me yet. I'm hoping for a scholarship from them. I play the trumpet."

Fleming will turn down three scholarships for the University of Nevada, Reno. That doesn't include the Millennium Scholarship because those recipients aren't notified until summer. There will probably be about 200 students receiving those then, Watty said.

Fleming is excited about this Thursday's "Salute to Scholars" ceremony, which many of her family members will attend.

"I already know about the scholarships so it's not really going to be a big surprise to me," she said. "I'm excited to be awarded, but I don't really like being recognized in front of large crowds."

Fleming, who is 17, started thinking about nursing as early as her freshman year at Carson High.

"I started volunteering at the hospital (then)," she said. "My dad kinda encouraged me to probe for a career and I thought RN was a good choice."

After Thursday's ceremony, Fleming begins the countdown to her future - just 10 until her 18th birthday and 23 days until graduation.

- Contact reporter Maggie O'Neill at moneill@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1219.

a salute

What: Salute to Scholars Scholarship Night

When: 7 p.m.

Thursday

Where: Senator Square of Carson High School, 1111 N. Saliman Road

Who: Open to the

public

Information: Call the school at 283-1600