In symphony

Northwest Local School District students were chosen by audition to perform in the Blue Ash Youth Symphony:

Northwest High School Band and Orchestra students: Kyle Robinson of Springfield Township (string bass), Brad VonBargen of Fairfield (bassoon) and Christopher Wendling of Mount Healthy (bassoon); and Pleasant Run Middle School eighth-grade violinist, Tarah Taylor of Springfield Township.

Pleasant Run Middle School string bassist Lucien Vienot of Springfield Township was accepted into the Cincinnati String Academy Chamber Orchestra.

Top volunteer

Beth Thomas, the owner of BT Graphics Inc., was the recipient of the W. Otis Briggs Jr. Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award from the Butler County United Way.

She has served the past six years on the United Way board of trustees and has used her graphic design talent to meet expanding needs, benefiting many organizations in Butler County.

New pilot

Kasey Kozma of Anderson Township earned his private pilot's certificate by passing an oral and flight exam with a Federal Aviation Administration designated flight examiner. He is now able to carry passengers in favorable weather conditions.

He completed his flight training at Eastern Cincinnati Aviation at the Clermont County Airport.

Scholarships

Cincinnati Area Mensa, the high IQ society, has announced local, regional and national scholarship awards.

Local awards: Christine Palmer of Clifton, a graduate student at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, won first place; Abhijit Mehta of Montgomery, a Moeller High School graduate, placed second; and Robin Maslowski of Anderson Township, an Anderson High School graduate, was the third-place winner.

Regional awards: Nora Nellenbush of Westwood, a student at the Art Academy of Cincinnati; and Mr. Mehta and Ms. Maslowski.

National award: Jeffrey Cooley of Clifton, also a graduate of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.

Call: 755-4165. Fax: 755-4150. Mail: Congrats, The Cincinnati Enquirer, 7700 Service Center Drive, West Chester, OH 45069.