March 28, 2006 > Scholarship luncheon honors high school students

The South Bay Chinese Service Club will be holding its annual scholarship luncheon on Saturday, April 1, 2006 at the Courtyard by Marriott in Newark, California. This year, awards will be presented to exemplary high school students of Chinese descent in the Tri-City area of Fremont, Newark and Union City. The scholarship program started in 1970 to recognize talented students for their hard work and achievements, and to provide encouragement for the challenges ahead.

Our speakers this year include two previous scholarship winners and Tri-City residents, Fremont Police Sergeant Clarise Lew, and Army Lieutenant Christopher Gin, who recently graduated from West Point.

Sgt. Clarise Lew is a 1982 graduate of Newark Memorial High School and has been a peace officer with the City of Fremont for over 17 years. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Zoology and Psychology at the University of California, Davis, and a Master's degree in Administration - Science and Engineering Management. She then attended the police academy at Evergreen Valley College, earning the Top Academic award in her class. She was the first female firearms instructor and the first female motorcycle officer in Fremont Police Department history. Clarise was the project manager for the installation of Fremont's automated red light cameras and coordinator for the local high school Sober Graduation program. She currently serves as Personnel Sergeant, testing and hiring new police officers and other police department employees.

Chris Gin is a 2001 graduate of Mission San Jose High School and a 2005 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. He earned a double major in English Literature and Chinese and graduated in the top 10% of his class. Chris was awarded the General Joseph Stilwell Award for Military Ethics and the East-West Center Scholarship. He was commissioned as a Military Intelligence officer with a branch detail to Armor. Currently, Chris is at the East-West Center in Honolulu and is earning a master's degree in Asian Studies from UH with a focus on China.

Both speakers have taken non-traditional career paths and we expect their presentations at the scholarship luncheon to be very interesting, as they give advice and share their experiences with the graduating seniors, their families, club members, local officials and businessmen.

For more information about the luncheon please check the club website, www.sbcclub.org