Carpinteria Community Awards Gala takes place April 1

By MARILYN MCMAHON NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce will soon announce finalists for Junior Carpinterian of the Year, Educator of the Year, Carpinterian of the Year and Junior Carpinterian of the Year.

The finalists will be revealed at the Carpinteria Community Awards Gala from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. April 1 at Rincon Beach Club, 3805 Santa Claus Lane in Carpinteria.

The gala will include a social hour, dinner and awards program. Tickets are $150 and must be purchased in advance by visiting sbscchamber.com.

The occasion will honor outstanding individuals who have made remarkable contributions to the Carpinteria community.

Among the honorees are two outstanding educators who have made a significant impact on their students, colleagues and the school community as a whole.

Matthew McPherson is a special education teacher at Aliso Elementary School. He has been working in special education for seven years and has worked with students across all grade levels with a special focus on socialemotional well-being and mental health. He also serves as special education chairperson, Site Leadership Team member and CPI trainer for the district.

Jennifer Foster, a math teacher at Carpinteria Middle School, continues her legacy nearly 10 years later after being awarded Carpinteria Teacher of the Year in 2014. She is the Math Department chair and leads the math teachers in designing engaging lessons and analyzing student assessment data. Her dedication to serving students after school, supporting them in tutorials, has been exemplary, the chamber noted.

This year, three exceptional students from Carpinteria High School have been selected as finalists for the Junior Carpinterian of the Year award. The winner will be announced at the gala and will receive a $10,000 scholarship this year. The two runners-up will each receive a $3,000 scholarship. These

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1 to 3 p.m.: “Holly Hungett: Natural Interpretations” will open with a reception with the artist at the Architectural Foundation of Santa Barbara’s gallery, 229 E. Victoria St., Santa Barbara. The exhibit will run through May 20. The gallery is open 1 scholarships are significantly more than year’s past thanks to an anonymous donor.

The first finalist is Hugo Alvarado Carmona Aldair. Hugo has been a member of Future Leaders of America since the summer of 2019, serving as president, vice president and currently treasurer. He is involved in his school community as a member of the cross country and track and field teams.He is also the president of the Robotics Club, working with other students to build a competition-worthy robot.

Aside from his involvement in various school clubs and organizations, Hugo has received recognition for his academic achievements, including taking calculus at Santa Barbara City College to better prepare himself for college, and he has received certificates of excellence in mathematics, engineering and computer science and earned the team’s highest GPA award from his school.

Hugo plans to pursue a career in computer science after finishing high school.

The second finalist, Monica Adriana Delgado, has been making a significant impact in her community through her various involvements. She has been a member of Girls Inc. of Carpinteria Eureka! program for five years, attending biweekly meetings and completing a four-week externship at FLIR Technologies, among other activities.

She has also been a member of Carpinteria Aquatics Club swim team for seven years, Carpinteria High School water polo, varsity swim team, band, yearbook and Link Crew, among other school clubs.

Monica has actively engaged in political and social causes through Junior State of America, Recycling Club, Interact Club and Aquatics Club public relations chair, among others. She has received numerous awards and honors, including California Scholarship Federation, National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholar, Citrus Coast League Academic All-League and the Girls Inc. Lucile Miller Wright to 4 p.m. Saturdays and weekdays by appointment. For more information, call the foundation at 805-965-6307 or go to www.afsb.org.

4 p.m. Actor Max McLean will perform “C.S. Lewis on Stage: Further Up & Further In” at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. To purchase tickets, go to granadasb.org.

7:30 p.m. Opera Santa Barbara’s Chrisman Studio Artists will perform “The Light in the Piazza,” an acclaimed musical by Adam Guettel and Craig Lucas, at Center Stage Theater, email: mmcmahon@newspress.com upstairs at Paseo Nuevo in Santa Barbara. To purchase tickets, go to centerstagetheater.org.

Scholarship.

Stephanie Ramirez Garcia, the third finalist, has made significant contributions to her community and school. Stephanie’s community involvement includes her role as an ambassador at Cottage Hospital. At school, she is an active participant in sports and academics. She has been playing tennis since August 2019 and has served as captain, leading a beginner junior varsity team through tennis protocol and assisting the coach in setting up courts for home matches. In addition, Stephanie has been playing basketball since 2019. She is currently a science lab intern, where she prepares and helps with labs for the five different courses in the science department. Stephanie also participates in several clubs, including as the president of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Spanish Club and Tennis Club. Stephanie has achieved several academic awards, including Academic All-League in tennis and basketball, Science Award, AP Scholar with Honor, President’s Award for Educational Excellence and AVID Award. She is also a Mission Scholars participant and a Leadership Representative for the class of 2023 cohort.

Stephanie has gained job experience working part time as a cashier at Padaro Beach Grill, and she has been recognized with several awards and honors, including Coach’s Award for tennis, Honorable Mention All-League in basketball and MVP in tennis.

This year’s event will also include a special recognition award for Dave Durflinger, who has served the Carpinteria community for the last 24 years as city manager. He has served on the boards for the Carpinteria Valley Chamber of Commerce, Carpinteria Children’s Project and Rotary Club of Carpinteria, and he volunteered as the Carpinteria AYSO Soccer volunteer coordinator.

For more information, contact Chelsea Weininger Chelsea@ sbscchamber.com.

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2:30 p.m. Opera Santa Barbara’s Chrisman Studio Artists will perform “The Light in the Piazza,” an acclaimed musical by Adam Guettel and Craig Lucas, at Center Stage Theater, upstairs at Paseo Nuevo in Santa Barbara. To purchase tickets, go to centerstagetheater.org.

— Dave Mason