Long Beach – Awards High School Scholarships

Crystal Reaves, recent CAMEO mentoring program graduate, receives a $2,000 scholarship certificate from CAMEO Chair Carmen Guess and Chair Elect Lisa Viets.

Ten young Assistance League of Long Beach scholars received scholarships, gifts and more Saturday at a drive-in graduation put on by CAMEO, the professional auxiliary of Assistance League of Long Beach.

CAMEO members have been mentoring the seven high school and three Long Beach City College students for three years and two years, respectively. Upon completing the program, each student receives a $2,000 scholarship (after completing the first two semesters of university work), a computer or iPad and other gifts.

Each student also received a restaurant gift card to take their family out in lieu of the traditional awards luncheon.

The event took place in the Cherese Mari Laulhere Philanthropic Center parking lot on the Assistance League of Long Beach property. The students moved through several stations to collect their awards.

“If you had told me last fall that we would be celebrating graduation in a parking lot, I would have thought you were teasing,” Lisa Viets, incoming CAMEO chair, said in a release. “But with the pandemic still happening, our CAMEO mentors used a little creativity and made today a memorable experience for our graduates.”

High school graduates are Adriana Andrade, Luis Rojas, San Nita Te, Crystal Reaves, Kaniyah McDaniel, Jocelyn Yanez and Areli Morales-Castaneda. LBCC students are Laura Ayala, Ruth Portillo and Monica Casillas.