HIGHER EDUCATION

* Three local students recently graduated from Excelsior College in Albany, N.Y.

Jaqueline Yvette Baucham of College Station earned a bachelor of science, and Kathryn A. Barber of College Station and Angela Pointer of Madisonville both received associate applied science degrees in nursing.

* Benjamin Boroughs, a 2009 graduate of Texas A&M University, recently began an internship in Washington, D.C., working for the House Committee on Agriculture.

He is one of 13 students selected for a policy internship through the Agicultural Natural Resources Policy Internship Program at Texas A&M. He will monitor legislation, attend committee hearings and briefings and prepare reports for senior staff members.

He was a genetics major and geography minor at Texas A&M and is the grandson of Horace and Beth Van Cleave of College Station.

SCHOOL NEWS

Bryan High School choir students participated in the UIL Solo & Ensemble competition on Feb. 18.

The following students earned a Superior Rating in Class 1 and qualified for the state competition: Casey Albright, Cali Bishop, Courtlyn Clossin, Taylor Erickson, Victoria Everitt, MaryKathryn Farnsworth, Marissa Fava, Mary Godfrey, Sarah Haynes, Natalie Hughes, Kelsey Jenson, Rose Jutila, Kathryn Lutz, Melissa Montoya, Maritza Munoz, Emily Peirce, Carla Roberts, Colleen Roberts, Samantha Sheperd, Emily Smith, Samantha Spell, Natalie Weber, Michelle Wolff, Anne Wunneburger, Ethan Bassham, Gustavo Elizondo, Devin Mandujano, Jacob Morrow, Cody Ponzio, Graydon Snowden, Arturo Suarez, Keith Owen, Drew Partlow, Chris Ramirez and Chris Ehresman.

The following students earned a Superior Rating in Class 2: Allison Barrentine, Debra Borski, Cheryl Chandler, Cristalina Cruz, Brandy Drozd, Conrad Fackler, Taylor Gyug, Madison Hoover, Haley Hosea, Shydell Keen, Alyssa Micheletti, Kathryn Moore, Kathyrn Morgan, Rebekah Morris, Amanda Ricke, Kayla Siegert, Jessica Simmons, Emma Slowey, Rachael Snodgrass, Rebekah Snodgrass, Tinka Stoessel, Allison Wilder, Abigail Wunneburger, Kyle Cade, Barry Densey, Forrest Herman, Landon McGee, Jacolby Robinson, Benjamin Singer, Terell Williams and Wilson Wood.

The following students earned a Superior Rating in Class 3: Debra Davis, Rickianna De Santiago, Christine Ehresman, Andrea Field, Tabitha Hernandez, Selena Mandujano, Courtney Murski, MacKenzie Rakowitz, Kaly Turney, Eileen Van Boskirk, Melanie Wright and Kyle Hughes.

* Lulu Chang, a junior at A&M Consolidated High School in College Station, has been selected to participate in the National Student Leadership Conference on Medicine and Health Care this summer at the University of California-Berkeley.

* The Bryan High School Skills USA Auto Technology Team won first and second place at the District 7 competition at Lamar University in Beaumont on Feb. 20. Everyone who competed at the district level will be advancing to the state competition. The qualifying students are Luke Bingham, Jorge De Anda, Thomas Hernandez, Justin Hyman, Michael Moreland, Jose Moreno, Ricardo Pantoja, Vincente Villeda, Bradley Wilson and Casey Winfield.

* Bryan High School welding students Lucian Pigford Ray, Dustin Sisco and James Barry won second place in Metal Fabrication during the Skills USA competition held last month at Lamar University in Beaumont.

The contest involves building a project from a single piece of metal in order to show measuring, cutting, fitting and welding skills. The three students will represent Skills USA District 7 at the state contest in April.

* Bryan High School Cosmetology students won numerous awards during the Skills USA competition last month at Lamar University in Beaumont.

In the hands-on competition, Brenda Pina won first place and Stephanie Franco won fourth place in cosmetology hair skills. Cinthya Guerrero won third place in haircutting skills. Wendy Gonzalez won first place and Alejandra Zavala won third place in nail art. Veronica Martinez won second place in nail care.

The following students' job exhibit projects qualified for the state contest in day or evening comb-out: Shana Caldwell, Melissa Catzada, Yuritizi Ceja, Franco, Carolina Galindo, Alma Gomez, Rosio Gonzalez, Raven Lawrence, Martinez, Brianna McCray, Isabel Salazar, Gabriela Serna, Cynthia Serna, Cynthia Tirado and Brittnay Waters.

The following students' job exhibit projects qualified for the state competition in fantasy: Stephanie Cordova, Kari Donnell, Guerrero, Twylesha Idlebird, Patrice Johnson, Jelecia Killebrew, Amber Rodriguez, Irma Rodriguez and Flor Salazar.

Jessica Kubiak, Pina and Sarah Ondrasek also qualified for state. Kubiak competed in braiding, Pina competed in wet set and Ondrasek competed in innovative.

BRAZOS COUNTY 4-H

The Brazos County 4-H Livestock Judging Teams recently placed in the top 10 at the San Antonio Livestock Judging Contest on Feb. 21.

The junior team placed ninth out of 110 teams. The team includes Alyssa Roach, Kara Wilke and Will Hussey, who are shown in the top photo, as well as Lilly Chilek and Brighton Slovacek, who are not pictured.

The senior team placed fifth out of 247 teams. The team, shown in the bottom photo is Becca Kirkpatrick, Bethany White, Alexis Roach and Emily Smith.

In both photos is Brazos County Extension Agent Brandon Gregson.

THE WOMAN'S CLUB

Local architect Jim Singleton (above) was the guest speaker for a recent meeting of The Woman's Club.

Leader of the day Eugenia Williams introduced the Bryan architect and husband of member Stephanie Sale Singleton to the group. Singleton began his observations with a comparison of his antique "laptop" from 1910 and the 2008 Dell laptop he used for a PowerPoint presentation of historic building styles in the area.

His ability to bring to life the importance of the past in the styles of the present helped expand an appreciation for different architectural styles in our community. Examples included the Coulter House, Temple Freda, the 1947 Coke Plant, St. Andrews Episcopal Church, the Carnegie Library, the Porter Cotton Gin and the Brazos Valley Decorative Center.

Another highlight of his presentation was the evolution of Texas A&M's vet school buildings built between 1947 and 2009.

Singleton also discussed one of his projects, the Brazos Valley African American Museum, where he incorporated its logo of three African tusks into the design of the building.

Head Hostess Arlene Wood and her committee of Lelia Bankston, Estelle Buffa, Charmen Catlin, Kaye Hobbs and Sandra Petty served refreshments after the program.

Monetary donations for Still Creek Ranch were accepted as part of The Club's charitable efforts.

Library Committee co-chairmen Mary Anne Kornegay and Martha Trotter provided information and registration forms for the annual membership drive of The Friends of the Bryan-College Station Public Library System. The Woman's Club's longstanding support of the library dates back to 1902, when the group aided in bringing the Carnegie Library to Bryan by securing a grant from the Carnegie Foundation.

BETA SIGMA PHI

The Pi Psi chapter of Beta Sigma Phi held its February meeting at Lisa Rosser's home. As part of the program, six members received Exemplar Status. These ladies were Michele Bailey-Meade, Rosser, Sonya Bouse, Sandra Wood, Susan Tolbert and Kim Ritchie. The next monthly meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Ritchie's home. The service project for March will be the Brazos Animal Shelter.

HOSPICE BRAZOS VALLEY

Ron Gay, past chairman of the board for Hospice Brazos Valley, stands with Honorary Chairs Chuck and Tedi Ellison during the annual Hospice Happening fundraising event. About 850 attended, and $120,000 was raised. The celebrity silent auction, live auction and this year's fund-a-cause for unreimbursed medication helped achieve the goal.

AREA AUTHOR

College Station author Richard Bradford recently released his first book and the first in a new series. The urban fantasy and science fiction novel, Seventh Earth, is written for young adults. Bradford is already working on the second book in the series.

Bradford has several book signings, author visits and workshops planned for the spring and summer.

He will visit Rudder High School in Bryan on March 30. He has scheduled a book signing on April 3 at Hastings in College Station from 1 to 4 p.m., and he will present a free writing workshop at the Clara B. Mounce Library in Bryan on June 17 and at the Larry J. Ringer Library in College Station on July 13.

Seventh Earth is available for purchase at Hastings in College Station or online at Amazon.com.

To arrange a book signing or appearance, contact Bradford at seventhearth@ymail.com or 210-872-7114. More details are online at www.seventhearthseries.com.

MILITARY

Navy Airman Benn J. McCurry, son of Georgette and Alton McCurry of Chappell Hill, has been assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, which recently received the Battle Efficiency Ribbon, given to the most battle-ready carrier in the Pacific fleet.

McCurry is a 2007 graduate of Brenham High School.

NEEDS A HOME

Lola McLab is a Lab-hound mix. She's all black with sweet eyes, and if you let her, she will crawl right into your lap. She's very gentle with people and likes to give gentle Eskimo kisses.

Meet Lola at the Brazos Animal Shelter (www.brazosanimalshelter.org) at 2207 Finfeather Road in Bryan. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.