Bellflower Noon Lions Club Scholarships Awarded at Cerritos College Foundation Board Meeting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 30, 2008

Media Contact: Aya Abelon, Public Affairs; (562) 860-2451, ext. 2287

NORWALK, Calif. – September 30, 2008 – The Cerritos College Foundation awarded two Cerritos College students, Angela Thompson and Mark Santa Ines, the Bellflower Noon Lions Club Scholarship at the Foundation board meeting on September 11.

Each scholarship recipient was awarded $1,000.

Thompson is a re-entry student who enjoys serving her community. She volunteers at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in Bellflower serving on the School Site Council and the PTA. She is also involved with the Citizen Task Force, serving the homeless and mentoring at-risk teenage girls.

Thompson maintains a GPA of 3.35 and is planning on transferring to California State University, Long Beach or Fullerton, where she will pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Administration of Justice.

Santa Ines actively participates in the community of Bellflower and regularly volunteers with the Knights of Columbus. He has participated in the Los Angeles Marathon and just completed the Arthritis Foundation's Amgen California Coast Classic Bicycle Tour which is an eight-day ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

Santa Ines is working towards an Associate’s degree in Architecture that will complement his Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Design. He is a current member of the American Institute of Architecture Students, maintains a 3.6 GPA and would eventually like to complete a master’s program at UCLA or USC.

The scholarships were presented by Bob Epple and Dr. Eric Ikeda. Epple is the Vice President of the Cerritos College Board of Trustees and past president and current member of the Bellflower Noon Lions Club. Ikeda, who is also a member of the club, serves on the Cerritos College Foundation Board as vice chair.

"The motto of Lions International is ‘We Serve’,” said Epple. “The Bellflower Noon Lions believe that one of the best ways to serve is to reward students who are helping in their communities. We are proud to recognize and award these students for recognizing that they can make the world a better place."

The Bellflower Noon Lions Club Scholarship is awarded by the Cerritos College Foundation to students who have lived, worked or attended school in the City of Bellflower. It focuses on an individual’s community service and involvement.

The Cerritos College Foundation, a non-profit organization, serves as a charitable vehicle for the community, individuals and alumni, to assist with financial support of Cerritos College. Visit the Foundation online at www.cerritos.edu/ccf.

Cerritos College serves as a comprehensive community college for southeastern Los Angeles County. Communities within the college’s district include Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey, Hawaiian Gardens, La Mirada, Norwalk, and portions of Bell Gardens, Lakewood, Long Beach, Santa Fe Springs and South Gate. Cerritos College offers degrees and certificates in more than 200 areas of study in nine divisions. Annually, more than 1,200 students successfully complete their course of studies, and enrollment currently surpasses 20,000 students. Visit Cerritos College online at www.cerritos.edu.

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