This spring, the Del Mar College sophomore is part of a team using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology to measure the populations of pests like the verde plant bug and cotton fleahopper and produce data that helps farmers maximize their crop yield.

As I sat at my computer to sign into my English class, it occurred to me I had never passed an English class. I hated English! The first thing I saw on the webpage was a picture of a kind-looking man with salt and pepper hair. His smile melted my fears momentarily.

To be frank, I’ve never been someone who struggled in school. I always worked incredibly hard and put a tremendous amount of effort into all assignments, projects, etc. Thanks to this work ethic, I’ve been rewarded with great grades and a passion for all subjects.

“What a robust reminder that my job is to make these little paper airplanes as well and as beautifully as I can and then sail them out into the breeze. How far they fly, where they land, what happens after they land — this is none of my business, except as it helps me to make the next airplanes better.

Batorson’s room of choice was the kitchen. She considered practical items the women would need - mixing bowls, measuring cups, toaster, coffee pots, utensils—selected an expanding kitchen table with matching chairs and added several red rugs for accents.

The applause may have set a decibel record last December when Randal Chisamore, Jr. strode across the stage at Del Mar College, grinning in his blue graduation gown and receiving his newly minted associate degree. By all accounts, it was a super-sweet victory for someone who was lucky to be alive.

Starting at about 10:30, Angie Dunkle, her husband, Kyle, Charleston City Councilwoman Susie Salisbury and Salisbury’s daughter, Carmen, began knotting colorful knitted, crocheted, woolen and fleece scarves, as well as gloves and hand-warming packets, around the flagpoles and trees that dot the plaza.

After five years working in the accounts payable department at Joerns Healthcare, Calder found herself jobless after the company announced in January 2012 it was moving 146 jobs from its Stevens Point facility to Texas, Arkansas and Mexico as a cost-cutting measure.

The Riviera Beach woman was working two jobs, caring for her daughter, and finally set to attend a local private university in fall 2008 when her vision became sporadically blurry. “There was no warning,’’ she said. “I thought I needed to wear my glasses more.

“It is unusual that donations have been so low recently. We thought they would’ve picked up as fall came, but that hasn’t been the case,” she said. “Hopefully, (the level of donations) will explode for the holidays.”.

McAllister has partnered with the California-based nonprofit Water Wells for Africa to donate a portion of the proceeds from each shoe sale to the charity. The nonprofit raises money to build water wells in villages without ready access to clean drinking water.

Hannah Ackerman, a student at Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo, has won history awards for her presentations on two naval disasters. One is the loss of Waterloo’s five Sullivan brothers during World War II. The other is the “missing 74” of the destroyer USS Frank E.

Bell won a silver medal at the competition, which included gold-medal winners from every state. He currently works for Lennox, and is pursuing a second degree in process operating technology at LIT..

At age 6, he wrote a song. He has written a book, is working on another one and has authored several plays. He recently took the California High School Proficiency Examination to earn the equivalent of a diploma and does math well above grade level..

West Plains, Mo. — Education means a great deal to Yanique Bradford. That’s one of the reasons she traveled more than 1,100 miles from her home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to receive her associate of applied science in enology degree from Missouri State University-West Plains.

Posey qualified for assistance from SCC, being a single parent with a low income and majoring in a male-dominated field. The college provided child care for her daughters so she could attend classes full time. She found a nurturing environment in the culinary arts program.

“I slapped since seventh grade,” Shields said, referring to the technique of “slapping” at the ball like a bunt from the lefthanded batter’s box. “I had slapped until my senior year (of high school). I started to kind of hit from the left side, but I was never a power hitter.

 A 39-year-old student whose loss of vision changed her career goal from hairdresser to radio personality received her associate degree as a member of the Class of 2014 during Camden County Colle