CHRISTINA EICHELKRAUT / PVT Amanda Cooper, Abi Gill, and Reynaldo Veloz happily show off the Martin Luther King, Jr. Foundation Scholarships they were awarded Wednesday night at the Pahrump Valley High School Awards Ceremony. Advertisement

Proud parents and future college students packed the Pahrump Valley High School gym with fingers crossed and breath held in hopes they would be a recipient of one of the many scholarships slated to be handed out Wednesday evening.

After writing essays, filling out applications, volunteering in the community, and studying throughout it all, the scholarships represented four years of hard work and dedication finally (and literally) paying off.

The $8,000 Keith Maeder Scholarship, awarded to eight seniors, went to Portia Hill, Jessica VanBuren, Courtenay Burns, Sara Lee, Jeff Holley, Megan Light, Kody Daffer, and Angelica Villa.

The Geraldine Harge Community Service Scholarship went to Courtenay Burns.

The Nevada High School Scholars Scholarship, worth a cool $1,000 each, was awarded to Courtenay Burns, Kristin Cathcart, Amy Gang, Heather Hensler, Jeff Holley, Jennefer Lane, Wayne Petty, Tara Rios, Jessica VanBuren, Mario Veloz, Reynaldo Veloz, and Karen Visser.

The Rotary Club Scholarship winners each added $1,000 to their college fund piggy bank and included Chelsea Otakan, Mark DiLella, Reynaldo Veloz, and Karen Visser.

The Ronald McDonald House Charities Scholarship was awarded to Jessica VanBuren.

The University of Nevada Reno awarded a $3,000 scholarship to Reynaldo Veloz.

The National Junior Honor Society Scholarship also went to Reynaldo Veloz.

The Kiwanis Club Scholarship was awarded to Jessica VanBuren, Nick Owens, Kelsie Kulkin, and Reynaldo Veloz.

Kelsie Kulkin and Abi Gill both walked away with the Lion's Club Scholarship.

The Jeremy Mendel Annual Scholarship, given in honor of achievement and perseverance for overcoming obstacles, was such a difficult decision for the committee it was awarded to two students this year instead of the usual one. Kassandra Swan and Catherine Nicole Miller each earned the award.

The Beta Sigma Phi Scholarship, awarded to foster the education of female scholars and $500 each, was given to Jessica VanBuren and Amanda Cooper.

The Ron and Charlotte Floyd Business Scholarship of $5,000 was awarded to Reynaldo Veloz.

The Martin Luther King Scholarship was awarded to Reynaldo Beloz, Abi Gill, and Amanda Cooper.

The Pahrump Valley Republican Women's Scholarship was given to Reynaldo Veloz and Jessica VanBuren.

Chelsea Otakan received the $500 scholarship awarded by the Pahrump Valley Masonic Lodge.

The Linda DeMeo Scholarship, awarded to all valedictorians in the county was received by Reynaldo Veloz.

Not surprisingly given the previous list, Reynaldo Veloz was named Valedictorian for the Class of 2007.

Kristin Cathcart was named Salutatorian for the Class of 2007.