Police Present $1,000 Scholarships to Newport Graduates

Four recent high school graduates from Newport Beach were presented with scholarships Thursday by the Newport Beach Police Association in recognition of their stellar academic record and outstanding character.

Newport Harbor High School alumnus Jaime Chavez, and Corona del Mar High School alumnae Melinda Green, Sarah Hostetler and Ariana Naaseh each received $1,000 merit scholarships at the ceremony held at the Police Department's headquarters. The awards were created for students who achieve a 3.0 grade point average or higher and work towards service in law enforcement that benefits the community and exemplifies outstanding character.

Scholarship Recipients:

• Jaime Chavez was involved in the mentoring program at Newport Harbor High School, participated in interscholastic sports, held a part-time job, and maintained a 3.0 grade point average. Jaime has plans to explore becoming a police officer.

• Melinda Green graduated from Corona del Mar High School and was a Captain in the Newport Beach Police Department’s Explorer program. She spent more than 900 hours serving the community and managed to maintain 4.0 grade point average. Melinda will attend University of California, Los Angeles in the Fall and will major in Biology. In addition to the N.B.P.A. Merit Scholarship, Melinda was recognized by Sergeant Lloyd Whisenant for her contributions to the Explorer program and given an additional $2,000 scholarship.

• Sarah Hostetler served as the Associated Student Body President at Corona del Mar High School and helped coordinate the Every 15 Minutes DUI Awareness Program at the school. She graduated with a 4.0 grade point average and will attend Tulane University in the Fall.

• Ariana Naaseh served as the Associated Student Body Vice-President at Corona del Mar High School. She also helped facilitate the Every 15 Minutes DUI Awareness program at the school and graduated with a 4.5 grade point average. She will attend the University of California, Berkeley.