The culmination of high school, when all the hard work is finally rewarded, is the last month of senior year. At Clayton Valley High School, this is when deserving seniors receive honors, scholarships and awards, followed by the much-anticipated graduation.

The highlight of these festivities is the awarding of the Scholarship, Leadership, Service and the all-encompassing Grand Altair. A CVHS tradition dating back to the school’s opening in 1958, these prestigious awards are named after the brightest star in the constellation, Aquila, a word meaning eagle in Latin. They are the highest honors a Clayton Valley student can attain.

Leticia De Brito won the Scholarship Altair with a GPA of 4.4. At Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, she would like to study architecture and become an architect. She credits her academic success largely to her strong stubborn streak.

“I’m really stubborn as a person, which is good as a student because it makes you more determined. After getting As all freshman year, I was determined not to lose the No. 1 ranking,” she says.

Leadership Altair winner Katy Boeger plans to attend Sacramento State this fall to study nursing. She owes a great deal of her success to her parents, who have supported her throughout her school career. Katy received this award as a result of her hard work and dedication to student government and leadership. “I have the most wonderful classmates working by my side; it was going to be a year to make some positive changes within CV,” she says. “I truly believe that we have made many improvements.”

Jennifer McLoughlin was awarded the Service Altair, which recognizes students for involvement and volunteer work within school. A Clayton Arts Academy student, Jennifer has been a part of the tech crew for every play, rally, assembly and production at Clayton Valley since her freshman year. “My cousin works in technical theater, so when she went to work on shows or plays when I was younger, she would take me with her. When I came to CV, I got involved in it myself,” she says. “Dancing and technical theater are my two big passions.” Beyond CV, Jennifer has participated in numerous charity performances with her competitive dance team. She is scheduled to attend New York State University at Buffalo and major in technical theater. She aspires to become a stage manager at Disney World or on Broadway and her dream is to tour with Disney on Ice after college.

The Grand Altair requires a student to be outstanding in every aspect of high school – academics, leadership and public service. This year, the prestigious honor was awarded to Stanford-bound Eden Mesfin.

She was named homecoming queen, played varsity lacrosse, was student body vice president and an active participant of several clubs, all while maintaining exceptional grades. “I worked hard, but I never dreamed that such an honor would be given to me,” she says. “The fact that the students and staff of Clayton Valley chose me for this prestigious award just makes me feel like I did something right through my four years of high school.”

Along with the support of college advisor Cheryl Long and Spanish teacher Susan Oksenendler, Eden drew inspiration from her parents to achieve her dreams.

“They are immigrants from a Third World country, Ethiopia, and worked endlessly to produce the lifestyle we are living today,” she says. “I aspire to be half as amazing as my parents have proven to be.”

CBCA awards.

Several students were awarded Clayton Business and Community Association scholarships. Leticia De Brito received an academic scholarship, along with twins Stephen and Katie Hill. The Hills will attend Cal Poly SLO this fall, with Katie studying business and Stephen majoring in software engineering. Sarah Moore received a fine arts scholarship. She will attend UCLA this fall and plans to major in neuroscience.

Sarah plays piano in the Clayton Valley Orchestra and in past years has played the flute in the Wind Ensemble. She has also been spotted playing the piano at several choir events.

“Music has always been a major part of my life,” Sarah says. “I love playing these instruments because it is the best way for me to express myself when I cannot put my feelings into words. Music is therapeutic, and I cannot imagine life without it.” Elise Canevascini was the recipient of the community service scholarship. She earned this award through many hours of volunteer work at Clayton’s Kindercare and the Clayton Historical Society Museum.

“I enjoyed volunteering and I’m glad all the work I put in is paying off now,” says Elise, who is enrolled at Montana State University and will study to become an accountant.

Wrestling scholarship.

Adam Lee was awarded the Pete Laurence wrestling scholarship for $2,000. A Concord resident, Lee has a 4.2 GPA and will be attending UC Santa Barbara and major in engineering.

AAUW winner.

The American Association of University Women scholarship went to UC Davis-bound Andrea Araujo, who maintained a GPA of 4.14. She plans to major in biochemistry and molecular biology. She received an extremely well-rounded education at CVHS. She played lacrosse and soccer all four years, lettering in lacrosse and serving as team captain. She was named best defensive player in soccer.

Her community service included volunteering at John Muir Hospital, camp counseling and tutoring. She was a member of the French Club, Clayton Valley Senior Women and the California Scholarship Federation.

Clayton Valley Woman’s Club award.

Joshua Tan is the recipient of the Clayton Valley Woman’s Club 2010 scholarship. Joshua excels in academics and is involved in sports, especially track and field.

The non-profit organization offers a $750 scholarship, renewable for three more years if the student maintains a 3.0 GPA. In his application, Joshua told about witnessing poverty in the Philippines as a child and his dream of providing aid. “We returned to Manila when I was in the second grade and I was exposed to the true poverty in the world that doesn’t exist in the U.S.,” he wrote. “Manila was a very different place, with endless stretches of flooded streets along with a mass of people in desperate need.”

He will attend UC Davis this fall and major in business. “Furthermore, I plan to return to Manila to not only start a business, but to find ways to combat the poverty that I saw in so much of Southeast Asia during my stay there,” he says. “With enough time and success, I can acquire enough money to start and support several non-profit organizations that fight poverty in this extremely poor country.”

A time for reflection.

As they leave behind old friends, move away and start a new adult life, graduating seniors experience a whirlwind of emotions.

“The experiences I have had throughout high school have transformed me into the strong individual I am today,” notes Katy Boeger.

For Leticia De Brito, graduation is bittersweet. “I am nostalgic to leave my friends, but I am very excited to actually graduate.”

Eden Mesfin feels sadness in leaving her classmates, excitement for the future and a sense of gratitude toward CVHS for helping her grow.

“I will miss Clayton Valley for so many reasons. This school and the people I met here changed me completely,” she says. “I have completely evolved from the confused freshman I was when I entered high school to an adult with my own opinions and aspirations. I am excited for my future, but even more excited to see the future successes of my amazing classmates.”