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View welcomes announcements of recent achievements of Favorite Sons & Daughters who have graduated from local high schools. Achievements may run the gamut from earning a college degree to successfully climbing Mount Everest. Please include student's name, age, area high school attended and graduation year, parents' names and city of residence. Send announcements and photos by mail to: Lynn Benson, View, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125-0070; by fax to 477-3852; or by e-mail, viewcalendars@viewnews.com.

Lauryn Weigold, 10, a fifth-grade student at Cozine Elementary School, has been accepted into the People to People Student Ambassador Program, an educational travel program founded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Lauryn will explore Australia for 19 days this summer as a member of the Las Vegas delegation.

She will earn academic credit while taking part in activities such as snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef, exploring the Undara Lava Tubes, visiting the sheep at the Mowbray Farm, exploring Phillip Island, touring Parliament, the Melbourne Aquarium, Victoria School and the Australian War Memorial.

Lauryn is the daughter of Yvette Weigold of North Las Vegas.

Aubrie Chaillet, a fifth-grader at Tomiyasu Elementary School, and Lynrada Vongchaichinsri, a third-grader at Thiriot Elementary School, were honored as grand prize winners in the 10th annual Wrap-a-Bus Youth Art and Poetry Contest.

Their work was unveiled and displayed on the exterior of a 40-foot Citizens Area Transit bus at a dedication ceremony.

The two grand prize winners and 16 other young artists and writers from Clark County schools were awarded prizes for their artwork and literary pieces.

Jerry L. Ross Jr., 18, a graduate of Southern Nevada Vocational Technical Center, has accepted an appointment to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. He will report there Wednesday.

Ross received nominations from Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., and Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev.

Ross studied computer animation and graduated from Votech with high honors. He maintained a 4.25 GPA for all four years of high school.

He is the first student in the school's 40-year history to receive an appointment to a military academy.

He was guided through the nomination process by advisors Bob Geary and Ed Joyce.

Ross is the son of Jerry and Michelle Ross of North Las Vegas.

Sarah Swinford, 18, a graduate of Cimarron-Memorial High School has been named as a National Merit Scholar.

Swinford has been awarded a four-year scholarship to attend Arizona State University's Barrett Honors College where she plans to major in psychology and biology with the goal of becoming a behavioral neuroscientist.

She is Cimarron's class valedictorian, a Nevada State Scholar, a candidate for Presidential Scholar and was chosen as Spartan Scholar, the student with the highest grade point average having successfully completed the most advanced placement courses. Swinford also has received awards for math, science and leadership.

She is the daughter of Mark and Sheryl Swinford of Las Vegas.