ACHS class awarded over $1.2 million in scholarships
By Daniel Wolowicz camarillo@theacorn.com

David Bygum

Adolfo Camarillo High School Principal Glenn Lipman rattles off the accomplishments of this year's graduating class with the pride of a father recounting the success of his own children.

According to Lipman, the 525 seniors expected to graduate today earned more than $1.2 million in scholarships. It's a class, he said, that will see about 80 percent of its graduates go on to either a two-year or four-year college.

The school boasts 63 California Scholastic Federation nominees, three Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Scholarship winners, including first-place winner Justin Allen.

Allen, along with Rebecca Glick, Justin Ramos and Larry Tran, will be recognized as the class valedictorians.

"All four of them are outstanding students with very high GPAs, all attending major universities," Lipman said.

When asked about his high school career, though, Ramos doesn't mention being named a valedictorian. The 17-year-old Camarillo resident talks instead about his love for music- especially playing the piano and the art of composing.

Justin Ramos

Ramos has played a number of live concerts during his time at Camrillo high school, but said he was most proud of a concert he organized to raise money for a charity started on campus by Camarillo students to benefit atrisk orphans in South Africa.The solo performance helped raised $1,000 for the charity.

Headed to Loyola Marymount University next fall on scholarship, Ramos said he plans to pursue a career in music. He eventually wants to compose music for film and television.

Anna Herring faces a problem not many teens are forced to confront in the days before graduation. The 18-year-old Oxnard resident learned last week the cancer she beat two times before has returned.

First diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma at 13, Herring was told just a year later the cancer had returned. Once again, the teen will have to undergo chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant surgery to beat the cancer a third time.

"I am at peace with everything," Herring said. "I've done it before, so I know what is going to happen."

Logan Ludington

Herring said she originally planned to attend Azusa Pacific University next year, but said those plans have been put on hold until after her chemo and surgery. Instead, she will attend Ventura College and begin studying for a career in nursing.

Herring said she wants to work as a nurse in pediatric oncology and help children going through similar battles with cancer.

"I know what they are going through, and I can understand what they're feeling and the pain," she said.

In the coming weeks, Herring plans to visit Colorado and hopes to spend some time with her friends in San Diego for a post-graduation vacation.

Logan Ludington co-founded the charity HERO- Help Educate atRisk Orphans- as a way to distance himself from a group of friends, who he said, had begun to get involved with "stuff I don't necessarily approve of."

In the two years since Ludington and fellow student Kelsey Little started the charity, which benefits orphans in South Africa, it's been recognized by the United Nations as a nongovernment organization.

Anna Herring

Bound for the University of California at Davis in the fall, Ludington said the charity was an extension of the Model United Nations program he was involved with while at Camarillo high.

Although he plans to major in computer engineering, Ludington said his fondest high school memories were of the times he spent with Model United Nations.

Because of his involvement with the club, Ludington said he traveled to New York and Paris to meet with other students involved in the international program.

A recent tuberculosis outbreak will keep Ludington from visiting South Africa in the near future; the teen said he does plan to eventually visit the country.

For David Bygum, sports were a big part of his high school career.

The 18-year-old Camarillo resident wrestled and played rugby for two years, played three years of football and spent four years in track. During his senior year, Bygum was the captain of the discuss and shot put team.

"That's one thing I am going to miss about this school, playing a sport," Bygum said.

The teen bounced back from an injury at the outset of the season to eventually set a personal best record for himself in the discuss.

"I dislocated my leg and that cost me like a couple weeks," Bygum said. "I did okay, though. I beat my personal record of 136 feet."

Today's graduation will begin at 2:30 p.m. on the football field.