This year’s winner is the chapter’s last Yonsei recipient.
At the Stockton-Lodi-French Camp JACL trichapter picnic held at Micke Grove Park in Lodi, Calif., on May 29, Keiji Watanabe was awarded the 2022 French Camp JACL Chapter Scholarship award.
A senior at Whitney High School in Rocklin, Calif., Watanabe is the son of Steven and Marissa Watanabe and the grandson of the late Seiichi (Jim) and Sueko Watanabe. He will be matriculating to the University of California, Santa Barbara, this fall with plans of pursuing a degree in economics and accounting.
Scholarship recipient Keiji Watanabe (left) and French Camp JACL President Dean Komure (Photo: Courtesy of French Camp JACL)
He graduated in the top 10 percent of his class with a 4.2 overall GPA and received the AP Scholar with Honors award, as well as lifetime memberships in the California Scholarship Federation and National Honor Society. In addition, Watanabe was a member of the varsity soccer team, where he earned 2nd Team All-League honors, and served as president of his school’s Elderly Assistance Club, volunteering at local senior living centers.
Watanabe’s graduation is a milestone for the French Camp chapter, as he represents its last Yonsei (4th generation) youth. Looking toward the future, the French Camp chapter looks forward to having the participation of the Gosei (5th generation) in its JACL activities.
For more information on the JACL French Camp chapter, please email frenchcampjacl@yahoo.com.
