By Michael Bromka
The Carlsbad (and Eddy County) chapter of NAACP awarded two more $500 checks to new college scholars, both originally from American Pacific islands.
Chevron generously donated funds backing this year’s Daniel Johnson Scholarship. Johnson, an Eddy County NAACP former president, was a lifelong learner, career U.S. Army veteran, and college graduate.
Born in Honolulu on Hawaii’s Oahu Island, scholar Izabelle Kostenbader later lived in Edgewater, FL (south of Daytona), then moved to Carlsbad. She entered P.R. Leyva / C.I.S. in seventh grade. Missing the ocean, she’s pursuing a technical/science career. At P.R., she enjoyed the rigors of Mr. Kostedt’s math class. At CHS, she studied two years of Spanish, Miss Blanchard’s biology, and Mr. Williamson’s chemistry. By Junior year, she aimed to earn a 4.0 GPA.
At Mr. Antiporda’s January scholarship presentation, she listened regarding the application and requisite essay about college and career goals. Now, she is back in Hawaii, enrolled in U of H’s College of Life Sciences, Department of Marine Biology.
The NAACP’s other scholar is Carmela Thea Bicol, who is ethnically Filipino and born an American citizen in Saipan. She had a standard Saipan education through her early teens, with four in-person classes daily. Supplementing this were two online courses per semester plus a summer session. Differences between that system and CHS made transferring credits a challenge. With her parents, she moved briefly to Arizona and then finally settled here.
In Carlsbad, Carmela found her A.P. (advanced placement) classes inspiring, with motivated fellow students. Schoolwork strove toward actual mastery of a subject.
In addition to academics, she enjoyed volunteer duties with Interact—everything from facilitating at elementary school events to litter pickup in local parks. In time, this earned her an Interact scholarship as well.
She also enrolled in BPA (Business Professionals of America), working part-time at Noah’s Ark Animal Shelter and then at Desert Willow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.
As a participant in BPA with her sister Christina Pia Bicol, Carmela traveled to regional and state competitions, taking first both places. Carmela also placed amid the top 10 in another event. Thus, she, Christina, and the rest of their chapter competed in Chicago at Nationals.
She now works as a medical assistant in pediatrics. Short-term, she’s training toward a license as a CNA, certified nurse’s aide.
Carmela has enrolled in the SENMC nursing program. After earning an associate’s degree plus passing certification, she hopes to work as an R.N. Her long-range educational goals include studying to become a Nurse Practitioner or Physician’s Assistant.
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