Corona del Mar Today: Speak Up Newport awards scholarships

The Speak Up Newport Board of Directors presented the 2011 Dorothy Hardcastle Scholarship Awards to two students at its July meeting.

Corona del Mar High School's Abigail McBean and Newport Harbor High School's Alex Jolly both won the $1,500 scholarships, which are awarded annually to students who contribute to the community.

In a news release, Speak Up Newport said McBean "is the epitome of a great volunteer, sharing her skills and interests with others in the community. She was a four-year member of National Charity League and volunteered as a tutor at Shalimar Learning Center."

McBean maintained a 3.71 grade-point average, danced with the school's Orchesis dance program and worked as a dance instructor at Harbor Day School and Girls Inc., the statement said.

She plans to attend New York University in the fall with a major in elementary education and a minor in Spanish.

Jolly earned Boy Scout's Eagle Award in 2006 and stayed active with his troop, serving as an officer and mentoring younger scouts, the statement said. He was a volunteer with the Beach City Service League and performed hours of community service with many other organizations including Relay for Life and Someone Cares Soup Kitchen.

"He was a member of the NHHS Ambassadors Club for four years and was founder and president of the Beautiful Club, which raises funds to help those in need of surgical procedures due to birth defects or accidents," the statement said.

Track and field team captain and a member of the cross-country team, he maintained a 3.88 grade point average and was a member of the National Honor Society, serving as treasurer his senior year. He also participated in the mentor program of the Da Vinci Academy, job shadowing Dr. Christopher Duma, a neurologist at Hoag Hospital, for a year.

"From this life-changing experience, he has chosen to continue in the field of medicine, attending the Joint Science Program at Pitzer/Claremont College this fall," the statement said.

The awards, which were established in 1982, are in memory of Hardcastle, who was a Newport Beach resident and an original member of Speak Up Newport.

Speak Up Newport is a nonprofit, non-partisan citizens group organized to promote the common good and general welfare of the Newport Beach community.

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