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Student winners of the FARMERS INSURANCE YOUNG AMERICANOS YOUTH PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION will have their works displayed beginning Friday, December 5 at the Centro Cultural de la Raza in Balboa Park, located at 2125 Park Blvd in San Diego. The student photos will be unveiled at a special award ceremony honoring the winners at Centro Cultural on Dec. 5 at 7:00 p.m.

The YOUNG AMERICANOS exhibition features the works of 95 students from throughout San Diego County whose photographs depict Latino Life in the San Diego Border Region. The photo contest was held in partnership with the Centro Cultural and area schools. Of the nearly 200 entries over 40 students will receive over $10,000 in scholarships and other prizes.

Winning the $1,000 Grand Prize cash scholarship is Elisa Lucia Hernandez, an eighth-grader from Monroe Clark Middle School. The winning photo depicts a young boy in his grandfather's healing herb garden. Elisa's teacher, Ms. Sandoval, says, "Elisa is a good student and will surely be motivated to stay in school."

In all, the 43 student winners represent San Diego, Chula Vista, National City, San Ysidro and other area communities. The winning photographs will be featured at the Centro Cultural de la Raza in Balboa Park from December 5 through January 25, 2004. The photographs will also be available for viewing at the award-winning website www.youngamericanos.net .

"These photographs are outstanding. The students have truly captured what Latino life is like in the greater border area," said Sam Payne, district manager for Farmers Insurance. "Every student, their families and their teachers should be proud of the students' accomplishments."

The FARMERS INSURANCE YOUNG AMERICANOS YOUTH PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION was developed by Farmers as a companion piece to AMERICANOS: LATINO LIFE IN THE UNITED STATES, a critically-acclaimed photography exhibition, jointly produced by the Smithsonian Institution and actor/activist Edward James Olmos, which just finished its exhibition at the Centro Cultural.

As the nation's third largest insurer of homes and automobiles, Farmers Insurance strives to meet the needs of all consumers in the communities in which it operates. In addition, Farmers is a committed partner with a number of community-based organizations throughout the country.

Farmers Insurance, based in Los Angeles, is one of California's largest insurers of homes and automobiles. It is a national sponsor of the AMERICANOS exhibition which will tour cities across the United States through 2004.

The Centro Cultural de la Raza's mission is to promote, preserve and create Mexicano, Chicano, and Indigenous Art and Culture. The Centro Cultural de la Raza offers arts education, exhibitions and performances at its world-renown Balboa Park location. Following is a list of all the winners and their school affiliations.

   Grand Prize Winner
   Elisa Lucia Hernandez, Monroe Clark Middle School

   High School Winners
   Maria Aguilar, Brisa Johnson-Urdiales, Michelle Wilkerson, Angelita
   Robles, Maira Flores, Danielle Marie Cervantes, Iris Melissa Hernandez,
   San Diego High School
   Sabrina M. Martinez, Hilltop High School
   Adrian Brian D. Tubongbanua, Montgomery High School
   Antonio Alejandro Hernandez, Morse High School
   Christina Carmen Hernandez, High Tech High School,
   Heather M. York, Bonita Vista High School,
   Rosario Maritza Pritchard, Castle Park High School
   Blanca Jasmin Romero, Mission Bay High School
   Manuel A. Ornelas, Kearny High School

   Middle and Elementary School Winners
   Michelle Vazquez, Ann L. Fernandez, UCSD Preuss School
   Franciso V. Valdez, Rosario Tablas, Monroe Clark
   Loreli G. Ornelas, St. Jude,
   Michael L. Hom, Pacific Beach Middle School
   Iyari Aztlan Arteaga, Language Academy
   Jonathan S. Menyon, Freese Elementary
   Maria C. Martinez, Gabriela Sanchez Davalos, Oscar Leyva, Brenda Rocha,
   Wendy Cortez Lopez, Ismael San Juan, Luis Alonso Colin, Jaime Iyorzabal,
   Miguel Plascencia, Beatriz Jauregui, Alejandro Ocampo, Alma Arreola,
   Maria J. Martinez, Angel San Juan, Central Elementary

   Honorable Mentions
   Amanda M. Duarte, Flying Hills Elementary
   Manuel Cuevas, Lauderbach
   Andres Bermudez, Monica Bermudez, Rosebank Elementary,
   Melissa Gazca, Central Elementary

SOURCE: Farmers Insurance