By Robert Anglen
The Cincinnati Enquirer

April Hoang-Ngoc Yee of Cincinnati Country Day School accepts the Golden Galaxy Award in journalism Wednesday from Tom Callinan, editor and vice president/news at the 2003 Golden Galaxy awards (Craig Ruttle photo) | ZOOM |

They are honor students, high achievers and academic award winners - but in another sense, they are teachers.

On Wednesday, 55 Greater Cincinnati high school seniors were awarded scholarships for their lessons of giving countless hours of community service while achieving academic excellence.

The annual Golden Galaxy Awards, co-sponsored by the Enquirer, WKRC-TV and Ashland Co., awarded $1,000 scholarships to students in 11 academic categories. It also awarded $500 scholarships to 11 first runners-up and $250 scholarships to 33 semifinalists.

These students tutor on Indian reservations, volunteer at the Red Cross, create programs to help younger teens, research aerospace projects, coach sports teams and teach foreign language classes.

"He's nonstop," said Connie Draud, mother of Jesse Draud, 17, of Simon Kenton High School, who won top honors in the music category. "He sings in the May Fest Choir, he's in plays in school ... He does a lot of studying. We often say he is involved too much. But it's a good thing."

As the Xavier University Cintas Center ceremony got under way, and the nominees introduced themselves to a crowd of parents, business leaders and educators, Kathy Gardlik beamed.

"It's wonderful. It makes me very proud," she said.

Her daughter, Rebecca Gardlik, 17 of Finneytown High School, was nominated in the science category. "She's involved in band and she gets up at 7 a.m. to go to practice. She's also in soccer and has games and practice. Sometimes we don't see her until 9:30 at night."

Parents call it work, but the students say it's also fun.

"I don't consider it work. I enjoy it," said Amanda Briede, 17, of Holy Cross High School, who was nominated in the art category.

Danny Mou, who took the top award in foreign language, said he was surprised by the honor. The 17-year-old Seven Hills Upper School student taught English as a second language to Hispanics when he wasn't concentrating on math and science.