For the past 33 years, high-achieving Newport-Mesa graduating high school students have been the recipients of scholarship grants presented by the Balboa Bay Club. An auxiliary known as the “1221 Club” (named for the Coast Highway address of the Club) in addition to significant fundraising from the Club’s Annual Men’s Smoker and Auction, has raised and donated more than $2 million to date, considered the largest private scholarship available in the community.
This graduating season, 24 young men and women accepted grants totaling more than $200,000 at a dinner reception and awards presentation held May 13 in the grand ballroom of Balboa Bay Resort. Some 400 guests, mostly family, friends, teachers and counselors of the scholars, stood with rousing ovation as each student accepted an award and shared a bit of their journey.
John Wortmann, Chairman of the Board of Governors for Balboa Bay Club, served as master of ceremonies. With a pride-filled introduction, he offered insight into the accomplishment and the diversity of the students.
“In this group we have swim team, soccer team, marching band, volleyball, basketball, track, tennis, crew, water polo, sailing and football student athletes,” said Wortmann. “They are captains, all League 1st team, MVPs. Many have endured family turmoil, endured tragedy, and have been raised by single parents. We have first generation Americans from all over the globe, 4.76 GPAs, ACT 35s, 1470 SATs, straight As, 10+ AP classes, Capstone Scholars, and students that never had anything but an A, ever, in school. All that plus some students with up to 700 hours of community service.”
Among the destinations accepting the Newport-Mesa graduates: University of Southern California, Purdue, Texas A & M, University of California, Los Angeles and Irvine, Chapman University, Johns Hopkins, Texas Christian University, Princeton University and Notre Dame, among others.
Donors and judges participating in the event’s comprehensive interview process for applicants nominated by high school counselors included Cindy Racco (General Director Balboa Bay Resort), Balboa Bay Club General Manager Tyler Hathaway, Catherine Thyen, Char Armstrong, Heather Dickerson, Madelyn Martin and Bill Blaine.
Spotted in the crowd were Newport Beach City Council Member Michelle Barto, Dr. Daniel Yanni, Mike Granja, Kathy and Noel Hamilton, Mary Roosevelt, Becca and John Wortmann IV, Mark and Michelle Larson, Cory and Kim Cosenza, Sharon Blaine, Anne Wortmann and Art and Jane Rivera.
A special tribute was paid to the Pickup-Martin family, ownership of Balboa Bay Club for their generous underwriting support of the scholarship program. Family matriarch Carole Pickup joined in the celebration with a special thank you to all the students.
The 2026 Student scholars are graduates from the Newport-Mesa public high schools:
- Lila Ancone – Newport Harbor
- Owen Clark – Corona del Mar
- Melissa Cruz – Estancia
- Zachary Drag De Mayo – Newport Harbor
- Julia Getter – Corona del Mar
- Davis Gruebel – Estancia
- Isabella Im – Costa Mesa
- Gabe Johner – Estancia
- Veronica Kehoe – Estancia
- Sophia Lin – Newport Harbor
- Abigail McIntyre – Estancia
- Bennett Molica – Estancia
- Juliette Moreno – Newport Harbor
- Thuc Nguyen – Costa Mesa
- Van Nguyen – Corona del Mar
- Riley Ogo – Costa Mesa
- Chase Ott – Corona del Mar
- Tyler Pence – Newport Harbor
- Leilani Quero – Costa Mesa
- Darwin Palma Ruelas – Costa Mesa
- Savannah Rodriquez – Corona del Mar
- Owen Saukkola – Newport Harbor
- Andrew Waiss – Costa Mesa
- Sharon Wang – Corona del Mar
