PORTERVILLE - Joni, Kimberly and Kristy Wuth have created a stir at California State University, Long Beach, because all three girls are beneficiaries of the schools' President's Scholars Program.

President's Scholars receive a full-ride scholarship that covers general student fees, an annual book allowance and paid housing in the campus residence halls for four years. Each scholarship is valued at approximately $25,000.

Joni Wuth, 22, graduated May 2002, and just completed her teaching credential at California State University, Long Beach. She expects to be teaching in the fall.

Kristy Wuth graduated last month with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics. She spoke to The Recorder by telephone from Long Beach just before leaving for a job interview for an analyst position in an economic consulting firm.

Wuth said she is excited about the President's Scholarship having become a family affair.

"I think it's pretty awesome that we all got the same scholarship," she said. "We didn't know this was going to happen when we first started high school, but by the time we got to our senior year we pretty much knew we wanted to apply. You have to be either valedictorian at your high school or a national merit scholar in order to apply."

A valedictorian from Monache High School's Class of 1999, Kristy Wuth was named CSULB's outstanding graduate. She received the Academic Leadership Achievement, Dr. Khalil Salem Award and the Robert D. Rhodes Award for outstanding baccalaureate graduate in math and economics.

Wuth marched in the College of Liberal Arts ceremony on May 29, and with her economic classmates, professors in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics ceremony on May 30.

While a junior, Kristy Wuth was inducted into the Golden Key National Honor Society, Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi and Omicron Delta Epsilon honor societies. She was featured in The National Dean's List 2000-2002.

Younger sister Kimberly Wuth, 17, graduated June 6 from Monache High School as a valedictorian. She will enter CSULB as a President's Scholar this fall.

The President's Scholars Program was established in 1995 by university President Robert C. Maxson, and is recognized as the premier program of its kind in the state. The program was created to bring valedictorians and National Merit scholars from California high schools to the CSULB campus.

The Wuth sisters have a brother, Theodore "T.J." Wuth, who is a sophomore at Fresno State University. He is majoring in real estate urban land management. T.J. Wuth didn't receive the President's Scholars award, but did earn a few scholarships on his own merit, he said; he is the one in the family who makes the jokes about his sister's academic prowess.

"They all graduated valedictorians, I'm the dumb one in the family," he said, laughing. "But I'm getting married first, so I got them on that one."

T.J. Wuth plans to be married August 30. He said he thinks the reason for their success lies in strong support from their parent's, Ted and Nancy Wuth.

"The main reason for my sister's success and mine is because of the support of our parents," he said. "They were always real loving and supportive. Also, none of us knew we were going to get scholarships, so we worked real hard in school."

When dedicated teachers do extraordinary work in the classroom they can make life-long impressions on their students. When students demonstrate that same kind of dedication in accomplishing their school work, it can leave a lasting impression on their teachers. That is the case with the Wuth children, who have left an unforgettable legacy in the mind of their former Westfield Elementary School first- and -second-grade teacher, Margaret Slattery.

"They were all darling little girls in that family," Slattery said. "The boy was a little more active and had more spunk, but the little girls were perfect. I don't remember the girls ever having a single naughty day. I think they're probably the ideal students. They were cooperative, and whatever you asked of them they picked up the challenge. My job then, rather than teaching, was to serve as a facilitator in order to help learn.

"They had the support of their mother and father, which helps a great deal. At that time their parents were able to take part in whatever was going at school. Ted is very musical and was wonderfully supportive of programs and things that went on at school. To me, their parents gave them enough freedom (to make decisions) so that none of them rebelled. And amazingly, all the kids really like each other."

Slattery, who is retired, said she taught all the kids of two families that had four children, each with three girls and a boy.

"The other family was Juan and Shirl Sanchez. I've always said a little piece of the Sanchez and Wuth family kids will always belong to me."

Slattery attributes much of the children's success to parental support, but their father, Ted Wuth, attributes it to the academic foundation they received in the Westfield Elementary School Gifted and Talented Education program, and to caring teachers involved in his children's lives.

"They were in the blue tract in Westfield's GATE program and they had great teachers," Wuth said. "Margaret Slattery, Kathleen Uphoff, Dave Huchingson and others, were there for them and it was such a tremendous program. By the time they were in sixth-grade, and came home with math homework, they were already beyond us. And it wasn't just our kids, they had a whole classroom of them. They were all just great kids.

"The other thing is, we valued education in our home and the kids knew how important it was. They enjoyed learning, but they were balanced. They all participated in band or sports."

Ted Wuth recently retired after 16 years as the pastor of the Henderson Avenue Baptist Church, where his wife Nancy worked as a secretary for 10 years. Both now work at Myers Funeral Service. Nancy Wuth agrees that education was important in their home, she and her husband were supportive and that her children all worked hard, but she has another perspective.

"Beyond all of that, I just think we were blessed," she said.