High school seniors Joriana Gibbens-Egolf of Shasta and Henry Baun of Yreka have been selected as the 2024 Record Searchlight-Redding Rotary-Seamans Family Foundation Scholar-Athlete winners.
Gibbens-Egolf and Baun received the prestigious awards during a Thursday luncheon at Riverview Golf and Country Club in Redding.
Record Searchlight journalists, Rotary Club of Redding members and Seamans Family Foundation members serve on a selection committee to review student applications for the scholarship. This year, the judges received applications from 53 students from Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama and Trinity counties.
In addition to Baun and Gibbens-Egolf, 10 others were finalists .
Alexes Collier of Yreka, Aria del Rosario-Sabet of Shasta, Peyton Estes of Fall River, Renaissance Johnson of Weed and Emily Nolan of West Valley were the female finalists. On the boys' side, Mickey Cohn of Red Bluff, Baron Grooms of U-Prep, Chris Hall of Foothill, Andrew Seamans of U-Prep and Bailey Wurzer of U-Prep were finalists.
Gibbens-Egolf is the fourth Shasta High student to win the esteemed Scholar-Athlete award and the second straight honoree after Audrey Bull won last year. They join Molly Ross in 2016 and Jim Tomasin in 1985.
Baun and Gibbens-Egolf each received $2,000 scholarships from the Seamans Family Foundation. The finalists each received $1,000 scholarships.
Seamans Family Foundation founder and Scholar-Athlete committee panelist Ken Seamans recalled the difficulty in choosing this year's winners. Each of the finalists carried grade point averages of 3.5 or higher, demonstrated character by completing community service projects and had exemplary performances within their respective sports.
About Joriana Gibbens-Egolf
A three-sport athlete in her senior year, Gibbens-Egolf excelled in the swimming pool, at the basketball court and on the track.
She helped the Wolves girls finish third at the Masters swim meet, placing in numerous events. On the hardwood, she was an all-league nod for the 15-12 Wolves, averaging 10.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. She’s currently competing for the Shasta track and field team.
Top-ranked in the school with a 4.8 weighted GPA, she’s attending UC Davis and will focus on studying international development and global studies.
Gibbens-Egolf has been a member of the school’s Model United Nations while also serving in Key Club and belonging to the National Honor Society. She and her family help organize Thanksgiving food baskets through their church and she planned fundraisers, including one for people affected by the Lahaina wildfire on Maui.
"This means a lot. This is one of the pivotal honors and moments in our community. Being recognized makes me extremely grateful," she said.
About Henry Baun
The Miners’ three-sport athlete runs track and field and cross country and competes in soccer. He finished sixth in the state in cross country and broke the 5-kilometer school record in his junior year. He’s currently competing in track and field with a goal to break the 24-year-old Northern Section record in the 3,200-meter race.
"This was so unexpected. It makes me proud because I've always tried to do what I love and help out in the community and give back more than what I can get," Baun said.
"My parents have always encouraged me to join and I've learned to ask a lot of questions."
He carries a 4.0 weighted GPA and plans to attend Brigham Young University to study nonprofit management focused on health.
In addition to working at Black Bear Diner, Baun’s list of community and school activities is extensive with student government, Interact Club and youth sports clinics among them.
He also created Club Hope, which seeks to change the school culture, promote positivity and help one person every day.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Shasta, Yreka seniors win 2024 Scholar-Athlete award; 10 Redding area finalists honored
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