Tracy grad makes degree count

Garrett Stroup, a 2002 Tracy High School graduate, is working as an assistant civil engineer with Cal Fire.

Garrett graduated from California State University, Fresno, last December with a bachelor’s of science degree in civil engineering. He is the son of Craig and Kim Stroup of Tracy.

Local graduates from boot camp

Pfc. John C. Sandoval, 19, of Tracy, graduated from the U.S. Marine Corps boot camp at the Recruit Depot San Diego on Friday.

Sandoval successfully completed 13 weeks of intensive basic training at MCRD San Diego as one of 52 recruits in Training Platoon 1055, Charlie Company 1st Recruit Training Battalion. Following 10 days of home leave, he will report to Camp Pendleton for one month at Military Combat Training and then Military Occupation Specialty school.

Sandoval is a 2007 graduate of Tracy High School and is the son of Tracy residents John and Penny Sandoval. Sandoval’s sister, Maggie, is currently in Marine Corps basic training at MCRD Parris Island, S.C., and is scheduled to graduate June 5.

Four students honored

Four students from Tracy have received Sandia National Laboratories Outstanding Achievement in Math or Science awards. The Sandia Women’s Committee has presented awards for the past 18 years to girls who have done exemplary work in science and math. The reception was last week in Livermore.

Mathematics awards went to Czarina Calayan of West High School and Amanda Goad of Tracy High School. Science awards went to Mandy Chen of West High and Mary Shi of Tracy High.

Law school grad

Jason Chorley has graduated from Golden Gate Law School in San Francisco and also passed the California bar exam.

Jason is employed at Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold LLP in San Francisco. He is the son of Tom and Marilyn Chorley of Tracy.

Local pianists recognized

In March, 34 Tracy piano students earned their certificates of merit from the Music Teachers Association of California. The students were South/West Park fifth-graders Mikaela Mizuno (level 5) and Jharen Rivera (level 1), third-grader Edward Xie (level 3), Freiler eighth-grader Cameron Cornell and seventh-grader Nicole Wright (both level 2), homeschooled fourth-grader Thalia Cruzat (level 3), and West Valley Christian Academy sixth-grader Kyla Villaroman (level 2).

The students scored in the top 1 percent of the class rating in the top 19 out of 440 students from the tri-valley area to earn a perfect 100 percent score on their theory examinations. They will receive special certificates from the Alameda County East Branch.

Based on their outstanding piano performances, Millennium High sophomore Matthew Nolen, Discovery fifth-grader Preston Tsang (both level 4), and Tom Hawkins seventh-grader Sarah Bai (level 3) were selected as eligible to perform at the annual MTAC convention in July at the Marriot Hotel in Santa Clara.

Having completed all 10 levels of testing, Tracy High Pre-International Baccalaureate sophomore Annie Xie and freshman Seoko Hong earned the highest level — “advanced” — of the Certificate of Merit Program.

Wicklund wows at pentathlon

Mountain House’s Wicklund Elementary placed well in the San Joaquin County Academic Pentathlon Competition on May 9.

The eighth-grade team won first place in the small schools division, the seventh-grade team won second place and the sixth-graders took third place. Individually, four sixth- and seventh-graders and eight eighth-graders won awards.