Rising stars
The Encinitas Chamber of Commerce celebrated four high school seniors from San Dieguito Union High School District at its March Rising Star of the Month breakfast. The honorees were:
• One Galido of Canyon Crest Academy, a varsity lacrosse player, ASB class officer and president of the CCA School Site Council.
• Mason Ross of La Costa Canyon High School, who has worked on ocean sustainability projects with Hubbs-SeaWorld Institute as well as being an avid surfer, bodyboarder and fisherman.
• Dirsa Hernandez Gregorio of San Dieguito Academy, who moved to the U.S. from Guatemala as a fifth grader, at which time she learned English. She is on the School Site Council and is an active community service volunteer.
• Sadaf Barekzai of Torrey Pines, who has adapted to a new country and language after moving to the U.S. from Afghanistan midway through her high school career.
Scholarships available
The City of Oceanside is accepting applications for its 2026 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Program. All high school seniors who live in Oceanside and will attend college after graduation are eligible to apply at either local high schools, the Oceanside Public Library or on the city’s website.
The deadline for applications is April 15, 2026. Since 1993 when the first scholarships were awarded, the city has handed out $1,360,500 to 440 students, including $100,000 to 17 students last year.
Graduates
Sofia Ung of Del Mar and Jaelyn Nelson of Solana Beach graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in December. Ung received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science. Nelson received a Bachelor of Science in Neurobiology and Psychology.
Dean’s list
David MacLeod of Carlsbad, Kiera Danks of Del Mar and Belle Ghorfi of Rancho Santa Fe were named to the dean’s list at Marquette University in Wisconsin.
Community Impact Awards
The Community Resource Center recognized several individuals and organizations at its inaugural CRC Community Impact Awards. Jordan Verdin, founder of Humanity Showers, and the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank received the Compassion in Action Awards. Lucas Schalch, founder of Glory Pursuit, received the Youth Changemaker Award. Alicia Kitagawa, executive director of Life Science Cares San Diego, received the Excellence in Leadership Honor. Dottie Fortman, of San Dieguito Newcomers & Friends, received the CRC CARES Award Honor.
Album release
BALTHVS released their first fully independent album “Transmutations” on March 20. The Colombian psych-funk trio that now calls San Diego home said the album evolved over their recent tour across Europe, the U.S. and Latin America. The album combines live performances from concerts in Europe in 2025 with studio recordings that took place in San Diego and Bogota, Colombia. In a news release, the band said, “We ‘transmuted’ the live concert into a studio album, we had no restrictions with the material, we re-recorded multiple elements in order to ensure pristine studio quality while preserving the energy of the live experience, and ‘alchemized’ the songs.”
Oceanside Poet Laureate
The City of Oceanside Arts Commission is accepting submissions for its inaugural Oceanside Poet Laureate. The poet — residing in Oceanside, Carlsbad or Vista — will serve a two-year term beginning July 2026 and receive $10,000 to be an ambassador for poetry, the spoken word and the literary arts through public readings, civic events and other ways.
“The Poet Laureate will be a catalyst for creativity and is expected to produce engaging and conceptually strong original works inspired by, and in response to, Oceanside as a richly diverse community,” Library & Cultural Arts Department Director CJ Di Mento said. Apply at oceansidelibrary.org. Deadline is April 30.
