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Tokay High School top graduates

By News-Sentinel staff

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Lori Brandt, 18

What are your immediate plans after high school?

I will be attending University of California, Los Angeles as a biology major.

What are your future life goals, career or otherwise?

I plan to become either a veterinarian or a psychiatrist.

What activities were you involved in during high school?

California Scholarship Federation, Link Crew, Spanish Club, Tokay Honor Choir, Club Stockton Volleyball, Tokay High School Volleyball, Tokay Musicals "Guys and Dolls" and "Les Miserables," Lodi Unified School District Honor String Quartet, voice lessons, professional modeling.

What awards, scholarships or special recognitions have you received?

Advanced Placement Scholar, Governor's Scholar, National Merit Commended Student, Scholar Athlete Award.

What was your most memorable high school experience?

I've had so many experiences with my friends that I couldn't even begin to name them all. They know what we did and the good times we shared.

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Joshua Funamara, 17

What are your immediate plans after high school?

I plan to attend University of California, Berkeley, and study mechanical engineering.

What are your future life goals, career or otherwise?

Study mechanical engineering, and use my knowledge and skills to make the world a better place?

What activities were you involved in during high school?

Badminton, Spanish Club, Science Olympiad, Science Bowl, Key Club International, Go Figure, Teen Lead, California Scholastic Federation, Lodi Honor String Quartet, Computer Tutoring for Seniors.

What awards, scholarships or special recognitions have you received?

UC Berkeley Regents and Chancellor's Scholarships, Chinese Cultural Society of Stockton Scholarship, San Joaquin Engineers Council Scholarship, National Merit Scholar, Lodi and Stockton Japanese American Citizen League Scholarship and The Record Pinnacle Team.

What was your most memorable high school experience?

Riding the Badminton Bus and making it to the second day of the league.

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Kate Allison M. Galvan, 17

What are your immediate plans after high school?

During the summer, I plan to enroll in summer classes at San Joaquin Delta College and/or find employment. I will enroll at UC San Diego in the fall.

What are your future life goals, career or otherwise?

I plan to graduate from UCSD with a bachelor of science in biology/chemistry and hope to continue to medical school to prepare for a career in medicine.

What activities were you involved in during high school?

California Scholarship Federation (President, 11-12), Spanish Club, Key Club, Link Crew, Conflict Management, Varsity/Junior Varsity Badminton, City of Lodi Storm Drain Detectives, Lodi Memorial Hospital Volunteer.

What awards, scholarships or special recognitions have you received?

California Scholastic Federation Sealbearer, Golden State Merit Diploma, Governor's Scholars' Award, Top of the Class Award, Principal's List, Scholar Athlete, San Joaquin All County Distinguished Student.

What was your most memorable high school experience?

My most memorable experience was traveling to the Philippines for two weeks, but the best part was coming home to all my friends' welcome arms! I realized then, even more, how special my friends really are.

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Nicholas Lucas, 17

What are your immediate plans after high school?

Attending UC Berkeley, majoring in engineering, though I'm still not sure which field of engineering I'd like to study.

What are your future life goals, career or otherwise?

After my first four years of college I'd like to attend graduate school and pursue a higher degree in my field. I don't have any real plans after my schooling, though.

What activities were you involved in during high school?

Varsity soccer, track and field, California Scholarship Federation, Spanish Club, Key Club, Vietnamese Club, Link Crew and the Math, Science and Engineering Challenge.

What awards, scholarships or special recognitions have you received?

Golden State Merit Diploma, California Scholastic Federation Sealbearer, Governor's Scholar, Principal's List, National Merit Commended Scholar, Homecoming Court and The Record Distinguished Student.

What was your most memorable high school experience?

Senior year alone has been full of so many great experiences, but I'd have to say my most memorable experiences were the times I spent with my friends.

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Amardeep Mann, 17

What are your immediate plans after high school?

After high school I plan on attending UC Berkeley. Currently I am undecided about my major, but hope to find a field that interests me during the first several years of my study.

What are your future life goals, career or otherwise?

I really enjoy working with and helping other people. In the future, I may like to be a doctor someday, but do not know if that if that career will fully satisfy my interest. When I look back on life, I would like to see it as a fulfilling experience enriched by the presence of my friends and family.

What activities were you involved in during high school?

Vice President of Spanish Club, California Scholarship Federation, Vietnamese Club, Japanese Club, Pakistani/ME/Indian Club, Key Club, Academic Club, Science Olympiad, Academic Decathlon, Science bowl, Community Involvement Association.

What awards, scholarships or special recognitions have you received?

Governor's Scholarship, National Science Olympiad medalist, California Scholastic Federation, Golden State Examination Merit Diploma, Vietnamese Club, Principal's List 9 (Honor Roll), Delta College Math/Science/Engineering medalist, Distinguished Civil Servant of Briza Sanchez Foundation.

What was your most memorable high school experience?

My most memorable experience at Tokay High School would undoubtedly have been making friends over the years. When I first came to this school, I didn't know many people and was very quiet and reserved, but over the years I learned to put my personality out on the table and let others accept me for who I am. In the words of my friend Dan Nguyen, "You may choose to show the ferocious bear as your exterior, but it's not hard to see the gentle kindred spirit trapped inside." I can't imagine going through high school without them, and thank them for being there whenever I needed them.

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Trang Nguyen, 18

What are your immediate plans after high school?

I intend to attend the University of the Pacific and enter an accelerated program, which involves two years of pre-pharmacy and then three years of professional pharmacy, to obtain my Pharm. D.

What are your future life goals, career or otherwise?

Once I become a pharmacist, I believe that I would be able to best serve my fellow human beings by providing them with medication when they are ill, and I intend to work in a local drug store or hospital. Perhaps I might even extend my career to one of research. I have great ambitions to discover the cure for AIDS, cancer and other deemed incurable diseases.

What activities were you involved in during high school?

Key Club International (treasurer, '02-'03), Spanish Club, California Scholarship Federation, High School Library Aid, (ninth grade), Counseling Office Aid (12th Grade), tutoring at Parklane Elementary School (since the seventh grade).

What awards, scholarships or special recognitions have you received?

Tokay High Honor Roll, Golden State Exam Awards, Governor's Scholarship, Tokay High Student Government Scholarship, Vaccarezza-Murdaca Foundation Scholarship, California School Employees' Association Scholarship, Lodi Youth Commission "Teen of the Month."

What was your most memorable high school experience?

I would have to say that it was experiencing all the benefits reaped from the diversity found on Tokay's campus. I have been blessed with the opportunity to meet, work with and become friends with people from different ethnic and cultural groups. This has made my learning experience and time at Tokay more enjoyable and memorable. For in my opinion, diversity is like a rainbow spreading all across the skies, never-ending in its great beauty and splendor that brings light to all it touches.

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Robert Racadio, 17

What are your immediate plans after high school?

After high school, I will attend the University of Chicago.

What are your future life goals, career or otherwise?

I plan to be a chemist and possibly a professor.

What activities were you involved in during high school?

Science Olympiad, Spanish Club, Camp Royal, the California Scholastic Federation and the Stockton Youth Advisory Commission.

What awards, scholarships or special recognitions have you received?

The California Governor's Scholarship and the Banatac Filipino-American Scholarship.

What was your most memorable high school experience?

One morning in English, I found a rat in my shoe. I managed to walk all the way to first period without noticing.

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Hoang Q. Tran, 18

What are your immediate plans after high school?

After high school, I plan to get a lot more sleep. Then I have to figure out a way to get a summer job without having a car. Eventually, I'll head off to UC Davis where I'll study computer engineering and other nerdy stuff.

What are your future life goals, career or otherwise?

Hopefully, I'll be able to sweep some lovely lady off her feet and then start a family. After that, I'll have the fun of molding my children into my own likeness (insert evil laugh here).

What activities were you involved in during high school?

Spanish Club, Key Club, California Scholarship Federation, Link Crew, Academic Team, Science Olympiad, Academic Decathlon, Science Bowl, Quiz Bowl, Go Figure and the Math, Science and Engineering Day Challenge.

What awards, scholarships or special recognitions have you received?

National Merit Commended Scholar, GSE Merit Diploma, Honor Roll, Science Olympiad state Champions, Lodi News-Sentinel Top Ten, Lodi Senior Citizens Club Scholarship, B.J. Engineering Council Scholarship, Heinrich Scholarship and the Governor's Scholarship.

What was your most memorable high school experience?

Meeting the best friends a guy could ever ask for, and never seeing it coming.

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Stephanie N. Ulich, 18

What are your immediate plans after high school?

My immediate plan after high school is to take a class at Delta this summer, before attending UC Berkeley in the fall.

What are your future life goals, career or otherwise?

My future life goals are to graduate from UC Berkeley with a degree in mechanical engineering, and try to get a job in the aerospace industry.

What activities were you involved in during high school?

I was mostly involved in the Science Olympiad, with my sophomore, junior years on the varsity team and going to the nationals twice. Through my membership on the Science Olympiad team, I then became involved with the Academic Club, Go Figure math Challenge, and volunteering at the Elementary Science Olympiad competition.

What awards, scholarships or special recognitions have you received?

California Scholastic Federation Sealbearer, Golden State merit Diploma, Honor Roll (four years) and Go Figure Honorable Mention.

What was your most memorable high school experience?

My most memorable experiences have been competing in the Science Olympiad, and the teamwork and knowledge necessary to compete. In all, my first nationals at Colorado Springs, Colo. was the best competition because all competitors were dedicated to Science Olympiad and willing to help.