BHS STUDENTS Caleb Parker (left), Vincent Lee (center) and Kendra Liu were among 15 to receive scholarships Saturday from the Chinese-American Association of Solano County. Courtesy Gigi Lee

By Keri Luiz
Assistant Editor

Fifteen high school students received scholarships last week from a prominent county Chinese-American group — and of them, three were from Benicia High: Vincent Lee, Kendra Liu and Caleb Parker.

Among the nearly 300 guests attending the Chinese-American Association of Solano County’s 16th annual Chinese New Year and scholarship fundraiser in Vacaville were Assemblymember Mariko Yamada, D-Davis, U.S. Congressman John Garamendi, D-Walnut Creek, state Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Davis, and Steve Messina, Benicia Unified School District trustee. KTVU News’ Claudine Wong was the Master of Ceremony.

The $700 scholarship, which was awarded to outstanding students who not only excelled academically but are active in the community, will go toward the students’ college education.

Gigi Lee, an eighth-grade science teacher at Green Valley Middle School in Fairfield, is the proud mother of 17-year-old Vincent. She urged her son to apply for the scholarship.

“What was nice about this particular scholarship is that you didn’t have to be Chinese to actually get it,” she said.

So she told Vincent to apply for it, and he told his friend, Caleb, who also was named a recipient. “(Caleb’s) definitely not Chinese,” Gigi said with a laugh.

Along with being in the top 9 percent of his class with a grade-point average of 4.0, Vincent is the president and founder of the Benicia High School Sailing Club and has also tutored other students in several subjects.

“He is also part of the Link Crew, which helps the freshmen get acclimated,” Gigi said. “He goes to classrooms and talks about peer pressure. He organized the holiday food drive this year. We encourage him to get involved and do things.

“He’s a little shy, but it is good training. We’re just happy for him to help with the community,” she said.

Melissa Young of St. Patrick-St. Vincent High in Vallejo also was awarded a 2012 CAASC scholarship.

The CAASC holds its annual Chinese New Year and scholarship fundraiser celebration to award scholarships to well deserving students from a variety of backgrounds in the greater Solano County region, according to a message written by CAASC President Gaylord Gee.

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