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 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.

Adrianna Kourafas, 18, graduated as valedictorian of Cimarron-Memorial High School in June with a GPA of 4.70.

During her years at Cimarron-Memorial, she served as class president and dance team captain, as well as a member of the National Honor Society.

Kourafas was selected as a delegate for the American Legion Girls State program and she was elected senator and designated the Nevada recipient for the American Legion Samsung Scholarship Award for academic excellence.

Kouafas was named student of the year by the Elks Lodge at a ceremony in May at a Las Vegas City Council meeting.

Kourafas plans to attend the University of Southern California, where she intends to major in chemistry.

She also plans to participate in the University of Southern California's dance repertory company.

Kourafas is the daughter of Chris and Trish Kourafas of Las Vegas.

Nika Ayanna Sewell, 11, was valedictorian of her fifth-grade class at Booker Elementary School.

Nika also tested highest in her grade in math, reading and science.

Nika just returned from Australia, where she went as a student ambassador for People to People.

Her acceptance into the People to People program was based on her demonstration of leadership and citizenship and her desire to gain knowledge of diverse cultures.

Nika is grateful for the encouragement she received from her fifth-grade teacher Penny Howell-Fuller, her principal Beverly Mathis and her school's support staff.

Nika is the daughter of Gwendolyn Walker and Roderick Sewell of North Las Vegas.