Village News - Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma

BONSALL — The 14th Annual Girl of the Year awards tea, sponsored by the Bonsall Woman’s Club (BWC), was held May 15 at the Bonsall Community Center. The girls, their teachers, sponsors, parents and school and community leaders were in attendance. It was a celebration honoring the young ladies for their achievements, culminating a year of community service.

Throughout the year, BWC mentors Judy Barnett, Jackie Mateas-Nutter, Jean Sawyer and Pat Aspray worked with the girls on various projects, including sock collecting for the homeless, valentines for the Marines at Camp Pendleton, kitty toys for the Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary and scrapbooks for the Children’s Hospital.

In addition to their community service projects, each girl maintained at least a 3.0 GPA, had excellent citizenship and wrote an essay on “Why I Should Be Girl of the Year.” One girl from each school is chosen based on community service and scholarship.

Those honored:

• Bonsall West Elementary fifth-graders Elyssa Bactol, Burgandy Kidd, Rachel Killione, Piper Holt, Talia Miller, Lala Paopao, Mackenzie Shires, Estefani Cortez, Lauren Haebel, Ana Olozagaste, Vanessa Power and Samantha Rivera. Girl of the Year: Kayla Casey

• Bonsall Elementary fifth-graders Gemma Aguilar and Autumn Hagstrom. Girl of the Year: Jordan Trouw

• Sullivan Middle School eighth-graders Amanda Amiri, Liza Caldwell, Arlene Gomez and Kayla Shires. Girl of the Year: Sara Riddick

• Vivian Banks Charter School fifth-graders Wilma Andraca, Ixchel Morfin, Halie Bran, Anahi Gonzalez and Janeli Pamatz. Girl of the Year: Clarita Guzman

Previous Girls of the Year in attendance at the event included Jessica Lane and Jamie Lusher (2007), Vernice Salazar (2006) and Rebecca Ellithorpe and Jessica Lusher (2005).

Certificates were presented by Nikki Birchall, Honorary Mayor of Bonsall. BWC President Joan Kaford presented the winners with $200 scholarships and each girl also received a “goodie bag” filled with gifts.