LEADERSHIP AWARD
Two local students received the Peter Chortek Leadership Award, which recognizes Jewish high school students in San Diego who are making a difference in their communities through leadership. The awardees are Danielle Boodman, a senior at Canyon Crest Academy who co-founded Justice League, a teen-led service program empowering Jewish high school students to lead volunteer projects; and Rebecca Leeman, a senior at Torah High School who brought the David Labkovski Project to San Diego, which uses art to tell powerful stories about the Holocaust and Jewish life through the eyes of a survivor.
MUSICAL PRODIGY
Mikita Li, a 10-year-old San Diego native and pianist who has performed and won awards internationally for both performance and original compositions, will perform at the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center in La Jolla on April 26 at 12:30 p.m. She recently performed at Carnegie Hall in New York.
YOUNG MARINES
Jose Escarsega, a leader of the Young Marines of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, has earned the Division 6 Adult Volunteer of the Year by the Young Marines organization. He will represent the division along with five other winners who will compete for the title of National Adult Volunteer of the Year at the Young Marines 2025 Adult Leaders Conference in Dallas, Texas.
STUDENT EMPLOYEE
Hofstra University in New York celebrated National Student Employment Week by honoring students like Hailey Mullen of Oceanside, one of many students who work on campus.
HONOR SOCIETY
Judith Kazmerchuk of Carlsbad and Ruchira Zadoo of San Marcos were recently elected to membership in The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines, at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
STUDENT AWARDS
Cassidy Matwiyoff of San Diego earned the Advisors Choice Award as part of the University of Alabama Student Government Association Awards. She was also inducted into the university’s Blue Key Honor Society.
TOP WORKPLACE
Escondido-based Erickson-Hall Construction Co. was recognized as a top workplace in the country by USA Today, San Diego Business Journal, Orange County Register and Riverside Press-Enterprise.
HEALTH CENTER
TrueCare, a local nonprofit community health center serving North San Diego and Riverside Counties, has completed and opened its new Vista Way Health Center at 3998 Vista Way in Oceanside. The 37,488 square foot space will serve as an all-in-one hub for healthcare in the region.
LAW LIBRARY
The San Diego Public Law Library Board of Trustees has appointed Gina S. Catalano as the new director of the Law Library. She has been with the library for 19 years and will serve as its first permanent female director.
FUNERAL BOARD
Megan Comer, president and owner of Alhiser-Comer Mortuary in Escondido, was chosen by Selected Independent Funeral Homes as an incoming board director for the association that aims to advance independent funeral services.
LUNCH BOX
The Boys and Girls Clubs of Northwest San Diego has officially rolled out its new food truck, The Lunch Box, at the Oceanside Farmers Market. The food truck will be available for catering and special events including corporate functions, birthday parties, family gatherings and more. The truck will also play a role in the club’s efforts to provide free meals to over 16,000 youth each year.
