Gilman’s Ryan Ripken commits to South Carolina
December 8th, 2011
Ryan Ripken, a senior at Gilman and the son of Orioles Hall of Fame shortstop Cal Ripken, has committed to South Carolina to play baseball.
Ripken, 6 feet 6, is one of four Greyhounds who will sign letters of intent Monday at a special ceremony at the Gilman Athletic Center.
“He’s been terrific for us and it’s a wonderful opportunity for him and I’m sure he’ll make the most of it,” said Gilman coach Larry Sheets. “He had a few choice, quality schools who pursued him. Who wouldn’t want to go to school of the caliber of South Carolina?”
Ripken plays first base and pitches. He is a three-year starter who batted .353 as a junior. According to South Carolina fan site The Big Spur, Ripken chose the Gamecocks over Coastal Carolina, Maryland and Wake Forest.
“It’s great news for Ryan,” said Gilman athletic director Tim Holley, who coached Ripken his freshman year before hiring Sheets. “He’s a solid Division I baseball player, who may go beyond that. South Carolina is a great place for him. They’ll benefit from his presence and he’s a hard worker who is going to get bigger and stronger. His physical maturity is still developing and I think his best years are ahead of him.
“I think he’s going to be a much more imposing athlete at 21 and 22.”
Also signing Monday from Gilman’s baseball team are Brandon Casas (Maryland), Thomas O’Neill (Yale) and Seve Llanio (Delaware).
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Tags: Carolina, Ryan Ripken, South Carolina
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Thomas Aquinas College gets grant
December 7th, 2011
Thomas Aquinas College has received a $200,000 grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.
The grant will be used for financial aid at the private Catholic college, which is in Santa Paula.
The Hilton Foundation has given nearly $1 million to Thomas Aquinas over the past 20 years. This year’s gift is the foundation’s largest to the college.
Thomas Aquinas has been recognized for its financial aid program in rankings published in U.S. News & World Report and the Princeton Review.
Tags: Aquinas College, Grant, Thomas Aquinas, Thomas Aquinas College
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On Online: Antoinette Hockaday
December 4th, 2011
Name: Antoinette Hockaday
Where do you live? Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Area of study: BFA Fashion Design
Day job / occupation: Bank Teller at Wells Fargo
What qualities do you most value in others? Honesty, Trustworthiness, Friendliness, and Compassion
Name three of your favorite designers: All time favorite is Alexander McQueen he was a true artist who didnt mind pushing the envelope, then there is Marc Jacobs and Jean Paul Gaultier.
List a guilty pleasure: I love True Blood, and you can also catch me on tmz.com a lot.
What is your present state of mind? Right now its focused. Trying to make sure i do good in school and making some life changes thanks to this great book im currently reading by T.D. Jakes called Reposition Yourself: Living A Life Without Limits.
What is your dream job? My dream job would running my own fashion label in one of the major fashion capitals like Milan, or even New York.
What is the most important thing that people should know about you? That im very honest, if you dont want my true opinion about something then dont ask.
When was the first time you recognized your interest in fashion? I would have to say when i was in middle school around eighth grade.
Where have you found inspiration lately? Museums mostly. I was fortunate enough to view the Savage Beauty: Alexander Mcqueen exhibit at the MET this summer as well as the Roberto Capucci exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, both were amazing.
What is your most valued possession? I dont really have one, but the one thing i cant live without is my son named Devin.
What music do you like to listen to? I love all kinds of music from hip hop to some rock music and have recently gotten an appreciation for jazz.
If you had an opportunity to travel back in time, who would you like to meet, and why? I would like to meet Dr. Martin Luther King, he was such a great leader and it would have been so inspiring to be present at one of his speeches.
Tags: Antoinette Hockaday, Hockaday
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Head finance officer at Centinela Valley takes new job
December 4th, 2011
After less than a year-and-a-half on the job, the head finance person at the Centinela Valley high school district serving Hawthorne and Lawndale has moved on.
James Pham, who was hired as assistant superintendent of business after the summer 2010 death of his predecessor, Angelita Dalan, served his final day on Wednesday. On Thursday, he began his new job as director of fiscal services at the K-8 Little Lake City School District in Santa Fe Springs, in southeast Los Angeles County.
Pham, who could not be reached for comment, earned a salary of $143,000 in the Centinela Valley district, which consists of three high schools: Lawndale, Hawthorne and Leuzinger. At Little Lake, which is smaller by a couple thousand students, he will earn about $100,000, an official at Little Lake said.
Centinela Valley officials are proposing to replace him internally by Ron Hacker, who wears two hats: administrator in the business-services department and the food services director. The school board will vote Dec. 13 on whether to officially appoint Hacker as the interim assistant superintendent of business.
Tags: Centinela Valley, Head Finance, Job
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Ed. group picks “Success Story Schools”
November 27th, 2011
A Connecticut education advocacy group is honoring 24 public schools whose students have made significant academic progress despite poverty and other challenges.
New Haven-based Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now, or ConnCAN , says the schools all have a combined minority and low-income population of at least 75 percent.
It picked them as its 2011 “Success Story Schools” after analyzing data from standardized tests and finding noteworthy improvement overall and in scores of minority and poor students.
ConnCAN made its announcement this week.
The schools being honored are in:
- Bridgeport
- New Haven
- West Haven
- Hamden
- Norwalk
- Ansonia
- Stratford
- Hartford
- Torrington
- Stamford
- New Britain
The group’s 2010 list included schools in many of those communities along with others in Waterbury and New London.
Tags: Schools, Story Schools
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