Ballona Creek Renaissance Awards CCHS Excellence

At its June 25th board meeting, Ballona Creek Renaissance (BCR) presented Awards of Excellence to three Culver City High School Students: Emma Kurihara, Priya Patel, and Yvonne Ball. A fourth, Zacky Ezedin, received his award on June 13. Honored for their long-time high quality volunteer contributions to BCR’s work on behalf of community and environment, each received a personalized, illustrated and framed certificate and a $250 check.
Because Zacky was leaving to begin a summer program at Cornell University in New York, BCR’s Irene Reingold and Jim Lamm presented him with his award early at BCR’s Creekside Native Plant Learning Garden. As a freshman, Zacky was the first CCHS student to connect with BCR’s Creekside Native Plant Learning Garden project at Culver City Middle School. With a strong interest in gardening, Zacky brought skills and enthusiasm to the planning and preparation phase and was able to continue spot involvement with advice or hands-on help one-on-one or with a group during the planting and care phase. BCR also appreciated his initiative to test the soil. At Cornell, Zacky will be studying plant pathology.
As a junior, Emma asked BCR to advise her for her Girl Scout Gold Award project to design and implement a native plant garden at Culver City Middle School. In addition, Emma (and her mom Carol Inge) helped in BCR’s Baldwin Hills Earth Day restoration. Later Emma provided great education and outreach at BCR’s Fiesta La Ballona booth and creek cleanups at Overland (pictured) and Centinela Avenues. This Fall, she will be attending Brown University in Rhode Island.
Whether with her loving father Shas or alone, Priya was especially effective as a restoration and gardening volunteer at BCR’s Creekside Native Plant Learning Garden at Culver City Middle School and along the Culver Boulevard bike and pedestrian path in Del Rey. Priya plans to begin her studies at West Los Angeles College in the Fall, majoring in art.
Often with her loving mom Cheryl, Yvonne actively and enthusiastically participated as an effective planting and restoration volunteer for BCR’s Creekside Native Plant Learning Garden project at Culver City Middle School and BCR’s Ballona Creek cleanups at Centinela Avenue. Yvonne looks forward to entering WLAC in Fall 2014 and becoming an elementary school teacher.