With clubs spread out in all different areas of California, the California Scholarship Federation (CSF) holds regional conferences to celebrate some of the top students within its members. The central region conference was held at El Diamante High School, April 20. As one of the biggest clubs on campus, eight campus students attended the event to compete in the Quiz Bowl and support senior Maddie Yee as a Seymour Memorial Award finalist.

The conference involved morning classes, with a variety of teachers; a guest speaker, Quiz Bowl competition and award presentations. FC had both Yee and eighth grader Madison Devereaux in the running for CSF awards. The campus CSF also fielded a three-member Quiz Bowl team who faced seven different teams to win the coveted trophy.

As a Seymour candidate, Yee already received $2,000 for being selected as a finalist. Then, while the conference commenced, Yee and nine other students were interviewed by judges to decide which would win the additional $3,000. The Seymour winner would also win the chance to compete against five students to win a $10,000 scholarship.

“I spent most of the day in a group interview with the other nine Seymour finalists and CSF board judges,” Yee said. “The interview consisted of various questions that each student was required to answer and discuss with the group. We were in the interview for about four hours.”

Though Yee did not win the award, she was honored just being chosen as a finalist. The winner, Mary Ann Carlisle, received a well-deserved award, she said.

“Marley {Mary Ann Carlisle} definitely deserved the Seymour Memorial Award,” Yee said. “I could tell that she was very passionate about serving others, and building one-on-one relationships with people. She is very confident in who she is as an individual, but also very humble in the things she has accomplished. Marley is an outstanding student who not only shows commitment to hard work, but also to living out her passions.”

For Devereaux, she was one of 13 students who were in the running for the Marian Hugh scholarship, including a $250 check and a gold medal. She serves as Treasurer of the California Junior Scholarship Federation (CJSF); she attended her first conference, not knowing what to expect.

“I?m the treasurer of our CJSF chapter,” Devereaux said. “I think the conference went really well. I didn?t know what to expect because I had never gone before; it was my first one. I think it went really well; it was exciting to go to different classes. The first class we went to was just for the candidates and we just kind of played games to break the ice to get to know people. The second one was all about CJSF and CSF and about scholarships. The third one was about photography, about phone apps.”

Before they announced the awards, Devereaux was nervous for the results. But when her name was called as one of the five winners she was ecstatic.

“When we were sitting in the rows before the event I was really nervous,” Devereaux said. “I didn?t know what to expect and how it would turn out, but I was really excited. When they called my name as one of the winners, I was really excited. I think I might have jumped up, because I didn?t really expect it. There was really tough competition with the other kids, but I was really excited.”

The Quiz Bowl tournament also turned out well for FC, who ended up winning for the second year in a row. Previously Gustine High School won the Quiz Bowl six years in a row, but the campus team beat them both last year and this year in the championship round.

Seniors McKay Mohun, Ashley Erickson and junior Suzy Carroll all competed on FC’s Quiz Bowl team. Mohun feels that the students who attended the conference represented the school by winning.

“I felt like it was very productive; I felt that it was a good group of students that went and we represented our school very well, especially in the quiz bowl,” Mohun said. “I decided to be on the quiz bowl team because it was something I hadn’t done before and I know a lot of random facts. I thought I might as well apply myself. Before the quiz bowl I didn’t really know what to expect because I had never done it before. I heard it was like jeapordy; I just was going there to have fun.”

Without knowledge on the rules or experience of the questions, Mohun was uncertain of their chances in winning the title again. But once they completed the first round, his confidence gained.

“I felt a little pressure because we won last year so we were held at a higher standard but once I was there I realized that this was something that we could do,” Mohun said. “I was just happy to help and happy to be a part of it. If I had the chance I would do it again.”

CSF advisor Molly Sargent thought the campus students had a fun time; she was proud of both Devereaux and her Quiz Bowl team.

“I thought everybody seemed to enjoy themselves,” Sargent said. “Well, first off, congratulations to Madison {Devereaux} for winning. I probably over celebrated in the audience when the Quiz Bowl team won. I knew we could do well, but I didn’t know if we would. The questions are so random that you never know what they are going to ask about. I was really pleased that our students were willing to guess.”

As the Vice President of CSF, Jenna Orcutt, ’13, attended the conference to support both Yee and Devereaux in their awards. She enjoyed the new experience of going to a CSF conference.

“I think this year?s conference went pretty well,” Orcutt said. “It was my first one, so I don?t have anything to compare it to but it was fun and we had a good time. It was fun to go support Maddie [Yee], Madison Devereaux and Gianna Wood so it was really fun to see. I?m vice president of CSF, so Mrs. {Molly} Sargent encouraged us to go. It was just a good experience to see the other chapters of CSF in the valley and to go support people.”

Overall, Orcutt thought the conference was a great way to spend a Saturday morning. Watching her friends compete in the competitions was entertaining for Orcutt.

“It was a good day,” Orcutt said. “I think my favorite part was when our team won quiz bowl because it was really exciting and that?s two years in a row now that we?ve won. It was really cool, exciting and fun. I didn?t have that many expectations for the event so I kind of just went with the flow. It was such a good day.”

These authors can be reached via Twitter: @TyninFries and @MeredithMonke. Follow The Feather via Twitter: @thefeather.

For more features, read the April 22 article, Classes compete in annual games, sophomores clinch win.