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t
CHOICE student
among those visiting
event at Gonzaga
By KEVIN SPRADLIN
Selina Mejia-Sandoval, a soph-
omore at CHOICE High School,
knows that a myriad of issues,
including family problems and
stress, can lead to a high school
student choosing not to go on to
college.
Or, she said, "they just give
up."
Selina and fellow CHOICE
High School sophomore Katrina
Twiddy spent four days last week
learning how to overcome such
obstacles -- or help friends do the
same.
The conference brought togeth-
er more than 80 high school stu-
dents from across the state from
May 17 to May 20 to Gonzaga
University in Spokane,
The event, sponsored by the
Secondary Education for Migrant
Youth, put a special emphasis on
students whose parents are mi-
grant workers and travel across
the United States and Mexico,
among other places, following
jobs.
"I felt homesick" at first, Selina
shared from her conference jour-
nal she wrote in daily while in
Spokane. "I wanted to turn back."
But Selina stayed and, with the
supportive help of Katrina and
Journal photo by Kevin SpCadlin
CHOICE High School sophomore Selina Mejia-Sandoval reviews her trip to the Student
Leadership Conference last week at Gonzaga University in Spokane with Maureen
Black. Black is CHOICE's GEAR UP student support interventionist and helps students
see how college can fit into their post-high school plans.
other students placed with her,
learned a lot of valuable lessons.
"We have to believe in our-
selves," said Selina of a primary
message during the leadership
conference. "We have to have a
dream to accomplish the goal" of
attending college.
"We want to have a good fu-
ture," she said.
Just like Facebook is a gather-
ing for people across the world --
in a wide variety of sub-special-
ties and areas of interest -- the
conference put together students
who face similar challenges of
moving from school to school on
a regular basis. Selina said she
plans to use social media to stay
in touch with other students from
the conference.
Selina said she has moved to
and from Mexico on multiple oc-
casions and also has attended
school in Washington, Florida
and North Carolina, among other
places.
Adjusting to each new situa-
tion, she said, "was really hard
for me."
Selina has been at CHOICE
for about a year, she said. For the
first time in a while, she has some
clarity as to who her classmates
and teachers are going to be the
next semester.
She said her family, includ-
ing her father and sister-in-law,
has doubled its efforts to stay
in Shelton so she can continue
at CHOICE, hopefully through
graduation.
"I'm staying here to study," Se-
lina said confidently -- and with
no small sigh of relief.
Maureen Black is the GEAR
UP student support intervention-
ist at CHOICE. Her grant-funded
position aims to work with stu-
dents and show them how to over-
come obstacles in life in order to
obtain a post-high school educa-
tion.
After four days at the confer-
ence, Selina said there was a sin-
gle overriding feeling she wanted
to share.
"I want to make my family
proud," she said.
And, she said, in order to do
that she needs to study hard and
become a college freshman after
she graduates from high school.
Expo
Continued from page A-1
The Strip Steak House
took home the Golden Fork
award for the second time
last Thursday.
Many retail and service
oriented businesses had
booths at the expo, but lo-
cal non-profit organiztions
also made a showing. Cheryl
Cathcart, executive director
of Turning Pointe Domestic
Violence Services, said the
event gives much needed ex-
posure for organizations.
"I think it makes your
business not only known but
approachable," she said.
Mason County PUD 3 also
had a booth at the expo, and
gave demonstrations on en-
ergy efficiency.
"It benefits a PUD cus-
tomer -- increasing a home's
insulation is the most cost-
effective way to improve en-
ergy bills," said PUD Conser-
vation Manager Justin Holz-
grove.
Acupuncture Solutions in
Shelton won the Best Booth
award.
Kathy Brown attended
her first expo last Thursday,
and said she was impressed
with what she saw.
"Because I'd never been, I
thought it'd be hm," she said.
After checking out a booth
promoting the Mason Area
Fair, Brown said she decided
to encourage her grandchil-
dren to enter something for
July s event.
Rachel Hansen of North-
west Event Organizers said
the many events are coming
up at the Port of Shelton's
Sanderson Field Events Cen-
ter and Fairgrounds. Each
Saturday between June 15
and September 15 will be
Sawdust Days -- a series of
community fiestas -- at the
Fairgrounds, Hansen said.
These events are free to
the public, she said.
'%Ve're trying to make peo-
ple aware of what we're doing
out there," she said. '~rou can
spend your day at the fair-
grounds and get to know your
fairgrounds."
Throughout the expo, at-
tendees got the chance to talk
one-on-one with business
owners and the chefs who
make their food.
Beben said the Bite of
Shelton gave Smoking' Mo's
exposure when it first opened
in a tiny location in Shelton.
'%Ve started in a back alley
in Shelton," she said. 'We've
been in Union for the past
year and a half and it's good
to see friends."
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Regularly
Regularly
Wishing You 50 More
Love from --
Bob, Beth, Barry, & Bonny
Homicide
Continued from page A-1
County Jail.
According to court docu-
ments, Burke was under the
influence of alcohol while
operating a 2003 Mercedes
registered to 38-year-old
Terra K. Dittmer, a lifelong
Shelton resident.
Dittmer was killed in the
single-vehicle crash, which
occurred shortly after mid-
night on May 15.
Two other passengers,
Jason J. Brown, 31, and
Cody R. Laney, 21, were
injured in the crash, which
Mason County Sheriffs Of-
fice investigators said oc-
curred when Burke lost
control of the vehicle, left
the roadway and struck a
tree.
In a statement of prob-
able cause filed by the Ma-
son County Sheriffs Office,
investigators found that
"Burke lost control of the
vehicle at the intersection
of East Mason Lake Road
that Burke "lost control of
the vehicle ... and struck a
tree."
Court documents show
that a legal blood draw was
taken of Burke, who was
the group's designated driv-
er, and that his blood alco-
hol content met or exceeded
the state's legal limit of
0.08.
Laney suffered a broken
leg and internal bleeding
and was airlifted to Harbor-
view Medical Center in Se-
attle for medical treatment.
Brown and Burke both
were treated for injuries
sustained in the crash at
Mason General Hospital
and released. Burke later
turned himself in.
Authorities have said the
group of four was celebrat-
ing Laney's 21st birthday
at the Towne Pub in Shel-
ton.
If convicted, Burke faces
a maximum of life impris-
onment and/or a $50,000
fine on the Class A felony.
On each of the Class B felo-
nies, Burke could be sen-
and East Mikkelsen Road." tenced to 10 years in prison
Witness statements, in- and/0r a fine of $201000,
cluding Brown's, alleged upon conviction.
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Page A-6 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, May 24, 2012