ALL-STARS

A scholar at UD Libby Ryan, a freshman dean's-list student at the University of Dayton, has accepted membership in the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. The organization recognizes first- and second-year undergraduates who excel academically. The Mount Notre Dame High School graduate is the daughter of Kay and Kevin Ryan of West Chester Township. Business grads These students have graduated from their college or university: Ryan Chahrour received a bachelor's degree with honors in philosophy and economics from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, played varsity baseball and plans to be a research assistant at the Federal Reserve in Boston. The Cincinnati Country Day School graduate is the son of Janet and Chaker Chahrour of Symmes Township. William Kladakis earned a bachelor's degree in business from the Wayne Calloway School of Business and Accountancy at Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, N.C. The Indian Hill High School graduate is the son of Teddi and John Kladakis of Indian Hill. Scholarship times three Rob Brichler is the recipient of three scholarships from Ohio State University. He was awarded the University Scholarship, the Hendrix Engineering Scholarship and the Walter H. Kidd Engineering Scholarship. In addition, he received an Ohio Academic Scholarship from the Ohio Board of Regents. The renewable awards total more than $6,000 per year. The St. Xavier High School graduate has been accepted into the Honors Program and will study electrical/computer engineering. He is the son of Gwen and Bob Brichler of Anderson Township. Prizes worth winning These recent graduates were awarded half-tuition scholarships to attend Urbana University, Ohio, as a result of their participation in the university's Academic Scholarship Competition: Jessica Smith of Clark Montessori High School; Kristen Auel of Batavia High School; and Korie Andrews of Eastern Brown High School. To submit an item, please call 755-4165.

Remembrances of Sept. 11 remind Lauren Wadds and her family about helping others in times of need. On that day in 2001, Wadds said, her family was watching as news unfolded about the World Trade Center attacks.

"We saw where people were being grounded at the airport and figured we should do something,'' Wadds said. "I had just given birth to twins, and I couldn't go to the airport. My husband, Graham, and sister Jenny Powell headed for the airport in separate cars. They brought back two Russians, a lady from Africa and two people from Walla Walla College (in College Place, Wash.).''

She said the two Russians, Nelli and Yakov Ioffe from Leningrad, were traveling to join relatives near Denver.

"They couldn't speak very much English, but the African lady whom I only remember as Mary could speak Russian, French and English and acted as an interpreter for the Russians,'' Wadds said. "This was quite a mixture, and we were busy cooking for them and trying to make them feel at home.''

She said the Russians and the African woman spent the night with neighbor Ting Su.

"The next day, I was driving them to the bus station in Sharonville when I was stopped for going too fast. When I explained to the officer what was happening, he told me to go ahead and didn't give me a ticket,'' Wadds said.

"I hear a lot from Robert and Solange Henderson. They both teach at Walla Walla College and had taken off to go on a tour in Europe,'' Wadds said. "I received a letter from the Russians in November 2001, and they referred to us as friends for life.''

One Day's Pay

The One Day's Pay movement, established in 2002 in observance of Sept. 11, encourages people to spend a day volunteering.

Locally, Joseph Byrum, president and CEO of Ohio Valley Goodwill Industries, also asks people to donate used clothes in good condition and household goods to Goodwill.

He said donations to Goodwill help job-seekers in Greater Cincinnati find work, earn a paycheck and support their families.

For more information, call 771-4800.

Parenting awards

Nominations are being accepted until Thursday for the Every Child Succeeds parenting program awards.

The Celebrating Those Who Parent Children awards honor people who exemplify what it means to be an extraordinary parent.

For nomination forms, visit www.everychildsucceeds.org or call 636-2830.