First Presbyterian Church Altadena: Jeri Yuki Tanaka Scholarships Awarded

On Sunday, June 17, five scholarships were awarded to deserving youth during the First Presbyterian Church’ worship service. The Jeri Yuki Tanaka Scholarship was created by Frank Tanaka in memory of his sister Jeri Yuki Tanaka. Due to financial constraints, Jeri was unable to attend college herself, but worked so that her brothers could. It is in honor of her hard work and sacrifice that this scholarship was created. We thank the scholarship committee for all of their hard work and diligence: Nancy Castillo, Sam Gin, Kelly Hayashi-Woo, Dorothy Kirkland, Debbie Kostich, Mischa McManus, and Bob Uchida. Sam Gin and Mischa McManus presented the scholarship awards.

The awardees for 2012 are:

• Irene Arellan, John Muir High, Pasadena. Irene came to our church through the “Stepping into the Light” event and has been a participant in the youth group. She will attend theUniversity of Colorado and hopes to pursue a degree in Nursing.

• Elena Arellan, John Muir High, Pasadena. Elena, Irene’s sister, also came to our church through “Stepping into the Light,” and has been a participant in the youth group. She will attend the University of Redlands and has been awarded a full scholarship from the university. She graciously withdrew her name from consideration for the Tanaka Scholarship so that another student might benefit from it in the future.

• Kimberly Jones, California State University Los Angeles. Kimberly is the daughter of Robert and Ing Jones, and currently attends CSULA. She is pursuing a degree in Civil Engineering and is a member of the Los Angeles Jr. Philharmonic, and is a cancer survivor.

• Stephanie Jones, Pasadena City College. Stephanie, Kimberly’s sister, will attend California State University Los Angeles in the fall. She has sung with the worship team during service, and will pursue a degree in Chemistry. Stephanie has accepted a school internship with a lab that focuses on finding a cure for cancer.

• Nathan Lau Branson, Marshall Fundamental, Pasadena. Nathan is the son of the Rev. Mark and Nina Lau Branson and has been a participant in our youth group. He will attendAzusa Pacific University in the fall where he will pursue a degree in Cinematic Arts and a minor in Business Administration.

• David Williams Jr., Pioneer High, Whittier. DJ is the son of David and Debra Williams and has been a participant in our youth group. He will attend Glendale City College in the fall. He hopes to earn a degree in Studio Engineering and will be a member of the varsity basketball team.

First Presbyterian Church, Altadena, 2775 Lincoln Ave., Altadena, (626) 791-4271 or visit www.altadenapresbyterian.org.