The Danville-Alamo-Walnut Creek branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) has chosen seven scholarship winners to receive $2,000, to be presented at an installation and awards ceremony May 31 in Danville.

Caitlin Rugg, a 2006 San Ramon Valley High School graduate, will receive the Jane Trittipo recognition plus an extra $200 for her dedication in the medical field.

Rugg is currently enrolled at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine after receiving her bachelor's and master's degrees at Stanford. She is interested in pursuing a career in orthopedic surgery and is working with the team doctor for UCLA women's basketball, women's volleyball, and football teams.

Other winners are Amanda Fujii, Sarah Hartman, Danielle DiDonato, Erin Delker, Lindsey Reardon and Paige Branson.

Amanda Fujii will receive a bachelor's degree in the mechanical engineering program UCLA this year and plans on continuing her study in the master's program there. She is a member of Tau Beta Pi, national engineering honor society and is a 2008 graduate of Monte Vista High School.

As a Ph.D. candidate in the Human Development Department at UC Davis, Sarah Hartman will be investigating how early family relationships affect development, physiology and psychological outcomes. She is completing a master's at CSU Stanislaus after having received a bachelor's at Davis. She is a 2005 graduate of Valley Christian High School in Dublin and a resident of Alamo.

Master of Music in piano accompaniment is the goal of Danielle DiDonato, who is a senior at San Francisco State University, majoring in music. She has been accepted to study at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow in the fall. She is a 2008 graduate of Carondelet High School in Concord and lives in Alamo.

Erin Delker has a bachelor's degree in psychology from George Washington University and is studying for a master's at Columbia University, where she has received recognition by the Mailman School of Public Health. Ultimately, she intends to work in academia and to continue public health research. She is a 2007 graduate of San Ramon Valley High School.

Lindsey Reardon earned her bachelor's degree at Brigham Young University and is now studying for a Master of Science in Nursing at the University of San Francisco, School of Nursing and Health Professions. The advanced practice Clinical Nurse Leader role requires knowledge of business and hospital policy to cut costs while improving care. She is a Danville resident.

After graduating summa cum from San Diego State University with a B.A. in Speech Language and Hearing Sciences, Paige Branson is studying at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, she has worked with children with speech sound disorders. Next year she hopes to work in local schools and hospitals. She is a 2007 graduate of Northgate High School in Walnut Creek.

Recipients of the scholarships were chosen for their education goals, scholastic achievement, community involvement and merit of application.

— Dolores Fox Ciardelli

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