Scholars reap rewards of donor generosity

BARBARA DIAMOND

The Laguna Beach High School Scholarship Foundation raised more than

$150,000 to present to graduating seniors this year.

Donors, presenters and foundation member Mary Fegraus were honored

at a pre-honors convocation reception June 8 before the presentation

of the awards. Fegraus was recognized for her vision, service and

dedication to the foundation and the students of Laguna Beach High

School.

Fegraus and her husband, Clark, have lived in Laguna for more than

30 years. Their children graduated from the high school -- Lisa in

1984 with a Festival of Arts scholarship and Eric in 1992 with

numerous sports scholarships and awards. Lisa now lives with her

husband in Australia. They are the parents of the Fegrauses’ first

grandchild, Miles. Eric is an environmental analyst in private

industry in Santa Barbara.

There was no scholarship foundation when Lisa graduated. It was a

program that fit onto one, legal-sized page. A year later, Fregraus

joined the committee. She has helped build the chapter of Dollars for

Scholars into one of the most productive in the country. For years

she spent the winter holidays producing “Go For It,” an information

source of scholarships available to Laguna students.

Fegraus is perhaps better known by most folks as the executive

director of the Laguna Canyon Foundation, working professionally and

personally toward preserving and expanding the Laguna Coast

Wilderness Park. She also did a stint on the Laguna Beach Planning

Commission. She has been a leader in Laguna Greenbelt Inc., the

Laguna Beach chapter of American Association of University Women

Foundation and Girl Scouts.

Fegraus had lots of ideas about candidates for this year’s

foundation honoree. “I kept calling with ideas,” she said. “Finally,

I was called and told ‘it’s you.’ My first thought was, how

embarrassing.”

Trustee Chris Krach was honored in 2004. She joined the board in

1997 and retired last year from her position as community service

coordinator at the high school.

Past honorees also include teachers Dee Brislan, 2003 and Jeff

Foster, 2002; Festival of Arts Foundation founder David Young, 2001;

foundation member Walt Lawson, 2000; long-time foundation treasurer

Morgan Odell, 1999; and Sawdust Festival members Jane Childers and

Don Nichols, 1995.

Fegraus is a foundation trustee. She serves with board members

Marsha Aronoff, Margie Bell, Blynn Bunney, Michellene Channels, Sue

Cohen, Fletcher Dice, Bob and Marge Earl, Lynn Fair, Robin Hall,

Jeannie Harrell, Jan Henderson, Angela Irish, Julia Johnson, Sann

King, Patti Jo Kiraly, Cort and Diane Kloke, Krach, Krinsky, Lee

Kucera, Lawson, Barbara MacGillivray, Michelle Massie, Gail McClain,

Pat Morgan, Fariba Mortazavi, Rick Okie, Lauren Packard, Deborah

Rabben, Mike Schulman and Lisa Staight.

Debra Steel will succeed Eleanor Tiner as president.

“Each President has brought something new -- new members, new

ideas -- to the foundation,” Fegraus said. “It’s meant to be diverse

-- not just a program for the top, top students. Some awards are

recognition of what has been done, some are incentives, some are

career boosters.”

The program continues to grow. Phil Freeman and A.G. Edwards

provide investment assistance.

According to Tiner, the program has grown from 77 scholarships in

1997 to its current 120 awards. You are investing in the futures of

our seniors and their dreams,” she told donors.

Sean Tiner, son of Eleanor and LBHS art teacher Peter Tiner, spoke

about what scholarships had meant to him when he went off to college

after graduating in 2002.

“The impact of the scholarships resonates here and around the

county,” he said. “Classmates at Brown were amazed when I told them

about the scholarships.”

Candace Johnson, a No Square Theatre scholarship recipient in

2001, sang “Summer Time” from “Porgy and Bess,” accompanied by Laguna

Beach High School teacher Gary Shapiro.

But the scholarships mean more than money.

“Having a community that knows I can do it, helps more than you

know,” 2004 graduate Anne Staight said.

Donations to the foundation can be bundled with others to augment

an existing award. . New scholarships are always welcome.

The Ebell Club’s Emery Bird Scholarship is the oldest. Among the

newest is the memorials to the late Jennifer Lynn Bammer, presented

by Stephanie and Police Officer Larry Bammer; the Mark Tiner Memorial

in remembrance of the high school student who died a year ago in a

tragic traffic accident, presented by his older brother, Sean and

Park Ranger Larry Sweet; and the Mark Tiner Memorial Spirit,

presented by Neil Olson.

Among the presenters and donors at the reception: Richard Moore

and James Law for the American Legion, Skipper Carrillo for the award

named for him, Community Clinic Director Erica Waidley for the AAUW,

Barbara and Greg MacGillivray for Freeman MacGillivray Films and Ron

Harris for the South Laguna Civic Assn.

Other presenters and organizations they represented: Lee Kucera,

Daughters of the American Revolution, and, with her daughter

Jennifer, an SMU senior, the Don Kucera Memorial Scholarship; Rick

Gold, the Laguna Board of Realtors and Affiliates; Fran Hudzinksi and

Ann Webster, Festival of Arts Foundation; Katy Moss, Exchange Club

ACE Award; Judy Jamison Trulock, Friends of Laguna Beach Library;

Patti Jo Kiraly, Sawdust Festival, and as always, the Triple Dribble

Associates presenting the McPhisto.

The reception was catered by Jeannie Morris. Desserts were donated

by Sundried Tomato.

For more information about the scholarship foundation, write

LBHSSF, 625 Park Ave., Laguna Beach, 92651 or call (949) 497-7760.

* OUR LAGUNA is a regular feature of the Laguna Beach Coastline

Pilot. Contributions are welcomed. Write to Barbara Diamond, P.O. Box

248, Laguna Beach, 92652; hand-deliver to Suite 222 in the

Lumberyard, 384 Forest Ave.; call (949) 494-4321 or fax (949)

494-8979.