Merit awards for Kern and Tulare counties

The awards are given out to students who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement, and who show character and positive values. Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R) who represents the district was there to honor these students.
19 of them are from Kern County and four from Tulare County.
    
They're given out to students who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement, and who show character and positive values.

The Kern County recipients are:

∙       Mr. Andrew McCan – Bakersfield High School

∙       Mr. Kenton Crabtree -- Bakersfield Christian High School

∙       Miss Heather Hansen – Centennial High School

∙       Mr. Charles Hale– East Bakersfield High School

∙       Mr. Sean Jensen – Foothill High School

∙       Miss Jessica Pilgram - Frazier Mountain High School

∙       Miss Katie Cornford – Frontier High School

∙       Mr. Jacob Elliott – Garces Memorial High School

∙       Mr. Bryan Bumgarner – Highland High School

∙       Miss Ying Wu – Independence High School

∙       Miss Jessica Yasin – Kern Valley High School

∙       Miss Paige Basconcillo – Liberty High School

∙       Miss Emily Phillips – Maricopa High School

∙       Mr. Peter Buto – North High School

∙       Miss Amanpreet Sarai – Ridgeview High School

∙       Miss Nia Abbas – Stockdale High School

∙       Mr. Eric Bailey – Taft Union High School

∙       Mr. Ryan Flick – Tehachapi High School

∙       Miss Renae Lewis – West High School 

The Tulare County recipients are:

∙       Mr. Milton Ramirez – Granite Hills High School

∙       Mr. Seth Steen-Fuentes – Harmony Magnet Academy

∙       Miss Mary Crocker – Monache High School

∙       Miss Kaitlin Smithey – Porterville High School

The 23rd Congressional District of California 2013 Merit Award was created to recognize outstanding high school students who have demonstrated exemplary school citizenship, volunteerism, community service, involvement in extracurricular activities, leadership skills and have earned a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

Earlier this year, high school principals were invited to select one outstanding graduating senior per school to receive the 23rd Congressional District of California 2013 Merit Award.