UCSD junior crowned U.S. Miss World
UCSD junior Lisette Diaz was honored with the U.S. Miss World crown, placing her in the position of representing the nation in the Miss World pageant in Sanya, China, on Dec. 10, according to a university press release.
The pageant, themed “Beauty with a Purpose,” has raised more than $250 million in charitable contributions. Diaz’s win nets her a prize package of $20,000, while the winner of the Miss World pageant will receive a prize package of $100,000. Diaz has participated in the beauty pageant circuit before, including being crowned Miss San Ysidro in 2003 and competing in seven other pageants. Currently at UCSD, Diaz is majoring in English and literature, and hopes to use her education to teach, according to the release.
The Miss World pageant specifically focuses on community service, requiring contestants to raise funds for the International Red Cross. Contestants in the world pageant come from more than 140 countries and the event is broadcast to over 2.2 billion people worldwide.
High schoolers deficient in math
A study released by the National Center for Education Statistics showed a disparity between high school seniors’ higher education expectations and their skills.
While more than two-thirds of 2004 high school seniors expressed hope to obtain their bachelor’s degree, almost two-thirds of those students showed a below average level of mathematics understanding.
Also, the report found that almost a third of students had trouble continually solving simple arithmetic problems that required basic understanding of mathematical theory.
Still, the report concluded that today’s students are educationally determined, with 35 percent planning to obtain a graduate or professional degree, while over 33 percent of all students surveyed expect to stop their education after obtaining a four-year degree.
In addition, over 60 percent of students in the report said they anticipated attending a four-year university after high school.
Over 22 percent expected to enroll at a community college, while 8 percent planned to attend a vocational or trade school.
According to the study, aspirations for graduate school degrees rank highest among female students, with over 41 percent of women expecting to go beyond baccalaureate education.
Only 28.8 percent of male students expected the same level of education.
Racially, over 47 percent of Asian students wanted to have a graduate school degree, the highest percentage of all ethnicities, while Latino students ranked the lowest in educational expectations.
Chancellor pledges scholarship money
Chancellor Marye Anne Fox is adding a twist to the annual Chancellor’s Challenge 5k Run/Walk, which has raised over $1.25 million in scholarship funding to date. This year, Fox will personally donate $4,000 to student scholarships, provided there are more than 1,395 participants — the number of last year’s participants — that register for the event on Oct. 21. In addition, Fox has pledged to add another $1,000 to the scholarship funding if over 1,500 runners and walkers register. Online registration, available until Oct. 19, and other printable forms can be found at http://www.ucsd.edu/5k.
