Auburn’s Rhianna Neal earned a $1,500 college scholarship awarded at Fort Lewis. Neal was one of several winners of Scholarships for Military Children.

The program is open to qualified sons and daughters of military families.

Neal will attend the University of San Diego to study accounting and fine arts. She hopes to become a leader in the university’s student government program and eventually to study abroad in Italy.

At Auburn Riverside High School, Rhianna participated in student government, the ASB executive board, the elections committee as chair and the National Honor Society as vice president. She was involved in varsity soccer and tennis and is a volunteer with Harborview Medical Center.

Additionally, she is a Foursquare Church Youth leader and raised $1,200 for the Starlight Starbright Foundation.

Neal’s father, Jeff, is a manager with Union Pacific Railroad and her mother, Karen, is employed by the University of Puget Sound as an administrative assistant.

Elsewhere

Auburn’s Kelsey Jones is one of 14 aspiring graphic designers from across the country who is competing for a national prize and opportunity to work with DC Comics in the Design Scholarship Challenge. Jones, who attends Auburn Riverside High, represents the International Academy of Design & Technology in Seattle. Each local winner receives a $5,000 tuition scholarship to the sponsoring school of their choice, plus a three-day, two-night expense-paid trip to San Diego to attend Comic-Con 2009 where the national winner will be selected this month. The grand prize winner will receive an additional $20,000 tuition scholarship to the sponsoring school of their choice. Participants were required to submit original designs for a print and online advertisement for DC Comics’ “Absolute Justice” graphic novel, scheduled for release in November. It will feature some of the most popular DC Comics’ characters, along with a detail sheet that includes a short inspiration statement.