Cancer Awareness Group Honors 3

* Congressional Families Action for Cancer Awareness honored three members--including Dolores Beilenson, wife of Rep. Anthony Beilenson (D-Woodland Hills)--during a Capitol Hill awards luncheon last week.

Each year, Congressional Families honors people who have demonstrated a commitment to increasing cancer awareness. Beilenson formed a coalition for breast cancer awareness in Thousand Oaks, which aims to ensure that women receive accurate and to educate them about resources.

The other two honorees were Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf and John Mack Carter, president of Hearst Magazines Enterprises.

Camarillo Student Awaits Leaders Conference

* Adolfo Camarillo High School student Kevin Feder will attend the National Young Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C. The 16-year-old junior will be among 350 national scholars attending the conference Oct. 8-13.

The annual conference is a “leadership development program for high school students who have demonstrated leadership potential and scholastic merit.”

Following a theme of “The Leaders of Tomorrow Meeting the Leaders of Today,” students interact with leaders and newsmakers from the three branches of government, the news media and diplomatic corps. Activities include visiting foreign embassies, attending policy briefings from senior government officials and taking part in debates during role-playing scenarios.

The National Young Leaders Conference is sponsored by the Congressional Youth Leadership Council, a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization.

5 Thacher Students Vie for Merit Scholarships

* Five students at The Thacher School who took the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test last fall have been named as semifinalists in the scholarship program. The students are Nicholas Cross of Newport Beach, Jessica Sawyer of Santa Paula, Carlo Soracco of Oak View, Elizabeth Vogt of San Francisco and Kenneth Young of Oak View.

The students at the private school in Ojai are among 15,000 who have the opportunity to continue in the competition for approximately 7,000 Merit Scholarships, which will be awarded in the spring.

Semifinalists must advance to the finalist level by fulfilling additional requirements, which include maintaining an outstanding academic record and endorsement by the high school principal.

The National Merit Scholarship program is a privately funded, nonprofit corporation. Merit Scholarships, totaling $27 million, are supported by 600 independent sponsor organizations and institutions.

Also, John Valenzuela of Ventura was one of more than 2,500 Latino high school seniors from across the country who was honored for exceptional academic achievements by the College Board’s National Hispanic Scholar Recognition Program.

East Ventura Rotarians Award Scholarships

* The East Ventura Rotary Club awarded scholarships to three 1996 graduates of Buena High School.

Matthew Streeton is attending UC Santa Barbara as a computer science major. Marina Starobinets is attending UC Berkeley and is a chemistry major. Sarah McLellan is attending Cal State Chico and has not decided on a major.

YMCA Names 2 to Parent-Child Programs

* The Camarillo YMCA announced appointments to its 1996-97 parent-child programs.

Brian Gravelle will head the Indian Guides and Princess Nation troupes. Marilyn Gardner will head the Indian Maiden and Brave Nation troupes.

The parent-child program leaders coordinate monthly activities, including camping, picnics and dances.

Awards and Honors is compiled by Rodney Bosch. Please address items to Awards and Honors, Los Angeles Times, 93 S. Chestnut St., Ventura 93001. Items can also be faxed to The Times at 653-7576 or 653-7548.