Students majoring in recreation and leisure studies at Cal State Long Beach recently dominated the dais at the scholarship luncheon for the California Foundation for Parks and Recreation (CFPR) in Sacramento.

CFRP awards scholarships, ranging from $250 to $2,000, each year to college students preparing to work in recreation and leisure services professions. At this year's event, CFPR awarded 29 scholarships totaling $26,000, and 17 of those awards went to 15 CSULB students, who together came away with more than $13,000.

"We have an amazing group of students right now, and that certainly was proven at the scholarship luncheon," said Katherine "KJ" James, CSULB associate professor of recreation and leisure studies. "Most of the CSUs have recreation majors, and college students working in recreation while pursuing another major are also eligible for these scholarships, so it really is a statewide competition."

Crystal D. Bracy, Suzanne C. Hayes and Qiana L. Teasdale were awarded the largest scholarships given at the event as the CSULB students came away with three of the four Anne Arge Nathan Memorial Scholarships, which were worth $2,000 each.

Two other CSULB students, Albert Daniel and Valerie F. Hofer, collected not one but two separate scholarships at the luncheon. Daniel was awarded the $500 CPRS District X Scholarship and the $500 Wakefield Scholarship, and Hofer walked away with $1,000 "Miracle" in California Scholarship and the $250 Alta Sims Bunker Memorial Scholarshis.

Other CSULB students presented with a scholarship at the event included: Esther Barrios (CPRS Therapeutic Recreation Scholarship, $500); Ken Carmean (Robert Meyers Scholarship, $500-$1,000); Heather Carpenter (Wood Scholarship, $500); Tim Davis (Fred Brooks Park Operations Scholarship, $500); Alison Fiorini (Chi Kappa Rho Scholarship, $500); Stephanie A. Hanks (CPRS District XIII Scholarship, $500); Jennifer Hildebrand (Teague Memorial Scholarship, $1000); Benjamin S. Lee (CPRS Ethnic Minority Scholarship, $500); Maureen MacRae (CPRS Educators' Scholarship, $500); and Tiffany Wu (Nonaca Scholarship, $500).

Scholarships were awarded on the basis of five criteria: grade-point average; work experience in the field of recreation; involvement and leadership with campus or professional associations in recreation; letters of reference; and a personal statement.

The scholarships are sponsored by professionals in a variety of areas of recreation, including therapeutic recreation, municipal recreation, commercial recreation, landscape architecture, ark operation and youth programs.