Youth News for May 18, 2012
MATHCOUNTS team included 3 students from BR
The Louisiana team placed 23rd nationally in the team division of the Raytheon National MATHCOUNTS Competition in Orlando, Fla., on May 11.
The team included three students from Glasgow Middle School: eighth-graders Elvin Gu and Louie Kam and seventh-grader Mason Guillot.
Anthony Tran, the fourth Louisiana state team member, is from New Orleans.
The Louisiana students competed against 224 students from 56 different states.
Gu also was one of nine students recognized as a three-time participant in the national competition. Students qualified for the Louisiana state team with their performance at the State MATHCOUNTS competition held in Pineville in March. The state competition is organized and sponsored by the Louisiana Society of Professional Engineers.
Teen named Gates Scholar
Shaela Nelson, 17, a graduating senior at Scotlandville Magnet High School, was one of nine seniors in Louisiana to be named a 2012 Gates Millennium Scholar.
The Gates Millennium Scholars Program, one of 400 scholarships administered by the United Negro College Fund selects 1,000 new student scholars nationally with full-paid college scholarships.
Nelson has beaten many obstacles including the loss of both of her parents, the late Sharlotte Nelson and the late Charlie Nelson, at a young age. She was raised for many years by her grandmother. When her grandmother died two years ago, her sister, Sierra Nelson, became her guardian.
Despite those challenges, Nelson has a grade-point-average of 4.0, is ranked 11th in a class of 263 and takes Advance Placement courses. She plans on majoring in civil engineering at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Society awards scholarships
The Society of Women Engineers Baton Rouge Section has awarded $1,000 scholarships to five graduating high school seniors.
This year’s recipients are Alexandra Gautreaux, daughter of Craig and Niki Gautreaux, St. Joseph's Academy, BASF Award; Abigail Burcham, daughter of Michael and Denise Burcham, Episcopal High School, Motiva Award; Maria Palermo, daughter of John and Geri Palermo, St. Joseph's Academy, Syngenta Award; Anne Cooper, daughter of Tim and Lauren Cooper, St. Joseph's Academy, Shell Chemicals Award; and Breanna Lee, daughter of Edward and Lillian Lee, Baton Rouge Magnet High School, Rubicon Award.
The scholarship program is open to graduating high school senior women, who live in the parishes of Ascension, East Baton Rouge, Iberville, St. James, West Baton Rouge, Evangeline, St. Landry, Acadia, Lafayette, St. Martin, Iberia, St. Mary and Vermilion, who plan to pursue an engineering degree and who have at least a 3.0 grade-point average on a 4-point system.
Scholarships for 2012 were sponsored by Motiva Enterprises LLC, Shell Chemicals Co., Rubicon LLC, Syngenta Crop Protection LLC, and BASF Corp.
Submit youth news to teen@theadvocate.com or fax (225) 388-0351. By submitting photos to The Advocate, you agree that they can be published in any of The Advocate’s print or digital publications.