FAVORITE SONS & DAUGHTERS

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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 the name of the area high school and year graduated. 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.

Kian Ameli, a 14-year-old Palo Verde High School freshman, represented the Fencing Academy of Nevada in the United States Fencing Association Junior Olympics in Hartford, Conn., Feb. 17-20.

Kian, a fencer in the youth 14 category, qualified to fence in the next two higher age groups, and placed eighth among a field of 245 in cadet men's epee, where he defeated the No. 1-nationally ranked U.S. cadet fencer.

Kian earned enough points to rank as a 10th place contender for the U.S. Cadet World team of four fencers, and now ranks nationally in three different age groups, second in youth 14 men's epee, 10th in cadet under 17 men's epee, and 29th in junior under 20 men's epee. He is the only 14-year-old and the youngest person in the U.S. junior rankings.

Kian is the son of Cynthia and Dr. Sean Ameli of Las Vegas.

Natalie Hughes Durante graduated from UNLV with a degree in fine arts.

She is the daughter of Rusty and the late Jeanie Durante of Las Vegas.

Lauren Nicole Hawkins, daughter of Daniel and Leslie Hawkins of Las Vegas, has made the dean's list in the honors college at UNLV.

Lauren is a 2005 honors graduate of Green Valley High School, where she graduated with a weighted grade-point average of 4.6.

While in high school, Lauren played piano in the jazz band for four years and was selected to play in the All-State Jazz Band her senior year. She played trumpet in the symphonic and marching bands all four years.

In her first semester at UNLV, Lauren maintained a 3.5 grade-point average while working 30 hours per week.

Last fall, she played trumpet for the UNLV marching band, and she is an avid fan of The Beatles.