FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 31, 2007
Media Contact: Diane Ohanian
858 578 2626, news@dianeo.cnc.net
Digital Images available after 06/07/07


SCRIPPS RANCH HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR WINS FIRST ANNUAL DAYLIA VAUGHAN SCHOLARSHIP



San Diego - The Black Mountain Democratic Club, representing the communities of Mira Mesa, Scripps Ranch and Rancho Peñasquitos, is pleased to announce the winner of its first annual Daylia Vaughan Scholarship for continuing education in the amount of $500. An essay contest was held in early spring, and graduating seniors from Mira Mesa, Scripps Ranch, Mount Carmel and Westview high schools were eligible to enter. The topic of the essay was ‘What the 26th Amendment to the Constitution Means to Me.’ The winning essay was submitted by Tianshu (Tracy) Han, a senior at Scripps Ranch High School.

As this is the Amendment of the Constitution giving 18 year-olds the right to vote, the students entering the contest were expected to express in their essays what the privilege of voting means to them. Tracy’s essay was thoughtful and emphasized both the obligation and the opportunity that young adults have to affect positive change in government policies and their own futures. In that light, she wrote, “We young people are always told that we are the future; the 26th Amendment gives us the opportunity to enact change through democratic politics and take responsibility for our future”.
Tracy came to the United States at the age of six and became a naturalized citizen last year. She has been accepted to Harvard University and will begin with the 2007 fall semester.

The Black Mountain Democratic Club, founded in 2004, offered this scholarship, named in honor of founding member Daylia Vaughan, to help defray the rapidly rising cost of books, tuition and other expenses facing a student in the community. The members of the Club believe that their participation in the community is vital, and they want to encourage new voters to take an active interest in what affects them in their day-to-day lives. The process of writing an essay would stimulate the students’ thinking about the right to vote as young adults, as well as encourage them to participate in the democratic process.

A representative of the Black Mountain Democratic Club will present Tracy with her check at the Senior Awards Program at Scripps Ranch High School at 6:30 PM on June 7, 2007.