Success & Service: Hart-Ransom principal finalist for national award

David Kline, principal at Hart-Ransom Academic Charter School in Modesto, is among the five finalists for a 2016 K-12 Online Learning Excellence Award given by learning company Pearson.

He is one of two administrator nominees from California. The other, Byron Fairchild, is the business director of the Orange County Department of Education in Costa Mesa. Others are from Massachusetts, Michigan and Georgia. The company will present winners in each of the five categories with a $1,500 check toward the funds of their choice when they are announced Feb. 10 at a conference in Amelia Island, Fla.

Pearson has 40,000 employees in more than 80 countries working to help people of all ages make measurable progress in their lives through learning. For more information about Pearson, go to www.pearsoned.com.

Soldier from Ceres runner up for honor

Army Spc. Nicolas D. Welsh, a 2012 graduate of Ceres High, recently was named runner-up in the Train Advise Assist Command-East Soldier of the Year. The recognition reflects his duty performance, job knowledge, leadership qualities, teamwork, significant self-improvement, personal achievements, notable accomplishments, and community service and support. Welsh joined the Army in 2013 and is a rifleman with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Fort Campbell, Ky. He lives in Clarksville, Tenn., with wife Marissa. His parents, Michael and Maureen Welch, live in Ceres.

Modestan earns scholarship for balancing studies with parenthood

Dyana Inthavong, 31, of Modesto is among those across the nation to receive a $1,000 working parent scholarship from Job-Applications.com. The Ohio-based company provides the awards to students who balance parenthood with work while succeeding in school. Inthavong is studying nursing while raising her 12-year-old son.

Local body shop receives national certification

Modesto’s Burnside Body Shop recently received certification by Assured Performance, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization for maintaining the right tools, equipment, training and facility necessary to repair the participating automaker brand vehicles according to the manufacturer's specifications. The shop is officially recognized by Fiat-Chrysler Automotive, GM, Nissan and Hyundai. Less than 5 percent of body shops nationwide earn the certification.

This story was originally published December 12, 2015 at 2:19 PM with the headline "Success & Service: Hart-Ransom principal finalist for national award."