Success & Service: Senior softballers donate for autism

The Stanislaus Senior Softball Association will donate $5,000 to the Kendall Foundation at Beyer Park on Thursday. The ceremony begins at 7 p.m. The Modesto-based foundation enhances learning for children with autism and benefits their families. The softball association began 27 years ago and includes five age divisions. Contact Bob Holly at 209-668-2786 or estonia16@aol.com for more information.

MJC communications professor Online Instructor of the Year

Kim Gyuran, professor of speech communication, was named the 2015 Online Instructor of the Year by Modesto Junior College during Fall Institute Day. In presenting this year’s award, Rebecca Ganes, the 2014 Online Instructor of the Year, noted that 257 nominations were received this year, with most of them coming from students. Gyuran was praised for her dedication to instructional excellence and outstanding efforts in building and teaching effective and engaging online communications courses. She joined the MJC faculty in 1994 and teaches online and classroom communications courses, including online Intercultural Communication classes, and Storytelling and Group and Organizational Communications in a classroom format.

Leadership academy roster named

The 2015-16 Stanislaus County Leadership Academy is made up of 30 students from 15 high schools. They will learn about emerging community issues and will be given opportunities to expand their knowledge of academics and work ethics and gain an awareness of local career availability. A goal of the Leadership Academy is to raise awareness of careers available locally to students after they graduate from college or trade schools. The participants:

Taylor Beckwith, Pitman; Matthew Begoun, Gregori; Emma Boggs, Oakdale; Isabella Butz, Downey; Aidan Cabelera, Beyer; Julia Cadrett, Davis; Courtnie Chan, Turlock; Hannah David, Big Valley Christian; Tanner Day, Pitman; Rucha Deshpande, Enochs; Victoria Farrow, Beyer; Meredith Furtado, Modesto; Annika Jasek-Rysdahl, Pitman; Michael Kelley, Central Catholic; Scott King, Gregori; Sami Larson, Big Valley Christian; Mary Lee, Hughson; Jake Lynch, Gregori; Kaylee Miranda, Waterford; Valerie Moss, Beyer; Riley Noland, Modesto; Tejal Patel, Modesto Christian; David Phillips, Central Catholic; Keith Reid, Pitman; Madison Romero, Waterford; Will Semone, Central Catholic; Tyler Stubbert, Big Valley Christian; Jordan Tam, Enochs; Eva Varni, Denair; and Trevor Wong, Modesto.

Modestan in Teach for America

Astrid Ruiz, who graduated from Davis High School in 2011 and Santa Clara University last spring, has joined Teach for America, a national nonprofit working to expand educational opportunity for students in low-income communities. Corps members commit to teach in high-need urban or rural public schools and become lifelong advocates for educational equity. She will teach in the Bay Area for the next two years.

In the lowest-income U.S. communities, 6 percent of students will graduate from college by the time they’re 25. Ruiz joins a network of 50,000 corps members and alumni working alongside parents, principals and communities for positive change.

Public relations winners named

The Central Valley Public Relations Organization honored seven companies with Excellence in Communication awards at a recent event in Turlock.

Doctors Medical Center, Modesto, received the corporate communication honor for its Women’s Wellness at DMC brochure. The Stanislaus County Office of Education won for its annual report for 2014. The Education Foundation of Stanislaus County won for its brochure. Newsletter/magazine award recipients were Never Boring Design for Contentment Health magazine, Vision Magazine for its spring 2015 edition and the East Stanislaus Resource Conservation District for its Stanislaus Grown Local Food & Farm Guide. Caltrans District 10 received an electronic communications honor for its Operation Fog video, as did Never Boring for its Teen Pregnancy Prevention television spot and the Stanislaus County Office of Education for its Staff Kick-Off 2014 music video. Never Boring also was honored for the website it created for Atherton & Associates LLP.

LearningQuest to bestow honors

Friends and family will gather Friday to witness 60 adults crossing the stage in cap and gown to receive GED certificates earned through their studies at LearningQuest – Stanislaus Literacy Centers. In addition, literacy volunteers, students and staff will be recognized with these awards: Tutor of the Year for Literacy, Denise Nordell; Tutor of the Year for High School Equivalency Diploma, Barbara Arney; Best Effort in Literacy, Mary Mendez; Most Improved in Literacy, Laura Rodriguez; Greatest Achievement in Literacy, Joan Jia; Best Effort in HSE Preparation, Pamela Roberson; Most Improved in HSE Preparation, Isela Cardentas; and Greatest Achievement in HSE Preparation, Laura Soto.

The annual awards night will take place at CrossPoint Community Church in Modesto. Call 209-522-0656 for reservations.

Lions award Forakis Scholarships

The Modesto 500 Lions Club each year awards scholarships for musical talent. The Anthony Forakis Scholarship was started in memory of the son of Lions Paul and Karen Forakis and is managed through the Modesto 500 Lions. The winner this year is Lindsey Enoki, awarded $1,000, and the runners-up, getting $750 each, are Elizabeth West and Ashley Seely.

This story was originally published September 5, 2015 at 6:50 PM with the headline "Success & Service: Senior softballers donate for autism."