Andrea Halkiotis gave blood to be a good citizen and wound up winning a Mediterranean cruise.

The Independence, Ky., woman was awarded $4,000 toward a cruise as the winner of the Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati's dream vacation contest.

"I know it might not be enough to cover my entire trip, but I don't mind adding to it. I like to travel," said Halkiotis, clinical manager of the operation room at Jewish Hospital and the Evendale Surgery center.

The award has been given since 2002 by the Health Alliance as a part of its blood donation program. Each time employees donate blood their names are entered in a drawing for the vacation.

"This is wonderful for me to win something because I very seldom win anything," Halkiotis said.

"I have been donating blood through the Health Alliance program for 20 years."

She has a trip planned to Hawaii this year to see her daughter, Jennifer Gray.

Then her daughter will join her later this year on the cruise.

Last year, Health Alliance employees donated 1,785 units of blood through drives held three to four times a year.

College provost named

Angie Taylor, vice president of business and industry services at Gateway Community and Technical College, also has been named provost, a new position at the college.

G. Edward Hughes, Gateway's president and CEO, said Taylor will help realign the college's work force training, business services and technical educational programs.

Taylor was named one of Northern Kentucky's Women of the Year in 2002.

$15,000 'spruce up' winner

Rosemary Grieme of Erlanger has received a $15,000 check as the grand-prize winner in the DAP "Spruce Up For Spring And Save," home-improvement sweepstakes.

Grieme, who said she recently used DAP caulk to make a repair at her son's home, said the check made her day.

Young leader

Michael Reno, 17 , of Elsmere is among 350 outstanding scholars attending the Global Young Leaders Conference that began July 18 and runs through Thursday in Washington, D.C. and New York City.

Michael is a senior at Heritage Academy in Florence and has been an honor student for 11 years.

He played basketball at Heritage from the third through seventh grade.

On July 14, Michael was featured as a guest of the band Shiloh at "Party in the Park" at Sawyer Point.

He is the son of Mike and Anita Reno of Elsmere

U of L grads

Twenty-six students from Boone and Kenton Counties were among 2,000 graduating this spring from the University of Louisville.

They are: Robert Patrick Bertke, Hebron; Amber Lee Brooks, Todd Francis Howard, Kyra D. McCormill, Eric A. O'Neal, and Kyle A. Vice, all of Florence; Amanda Louise Carnes and Kathleen Marie Flerlage of Covington; Andrea N. Caton and Christopher Louis Richie of Villa Hills; Michael McKinely Collett and Kevin C. Krogman of Crescent Springs; David M. Dang and Abby Lynne Wilson of Crestview Hills; Amber Knaley Decker, Alison Marie Diebold and Jennifer Lee Ferrell, of Erlanger; and David Charles Duncan of Taylor Mill.

Also Andrew T. Hart, Burlington; Bethany Ann Jones, Walton; Allison Michelle Kemphaus, Fort Wright; Lori Dayle Ledford and Tara Lee Southworth, Independence; Stephen A. Lobo, Lakeside; Tessa L. Townsend, Morning View, and Dennis Duncan Wolff, Edgewood.