Student claims big prize
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IRVINE, Calif. — Learning the ins and outs of community development and city planning in a week-and-a-half is a challenge. But it's one Adam Gassin, student body president at Northwood High School, met head on as one of 30 contestants in a competition sponsored by The Irvine Company, a major player in the progress of this Southern California city.
Adam crammed, competed and won one of four $10,000 awards in the gruelling Student Leadership Awards contest — role playing in the hypothetical development of 620 acres of land. The money would be useful to pay for college, but this 17-year-old priest in the Irvine 5th Ward, Irvine California Stake, already has that covered as one of 50 of BYU's Gordon B. Hinckley Scholarship winners. He intends to put a big chunk of the prize money into his mission fund, he said during a Church News telephone interview. He also intends to set some aside for graduate school and investment.
Adam explained that The Irvine Company, as the owner of large tracts of land in Irvine, has been able to carefully plan the community's development.
The 30 competitors, two nominees from each of 15 area high schools, were divided into five teams. Each student was assigned a duty, such as environmental advocate, school advocate or community leader. Adam's role was county land planner. The students delivered a presentation of their ideas on development to the county board of supervisors, which narrowed the field to four individual finalists who each won $10,000.
An Eagle Scout, Adam looks forward to a future in international business or law.
From early-morning seminary through a demanding school day of academics and student government to outside activities including tutoring and a part-time job as event planner in the community services department of Irvine City, Adam packs his calendar. But beyond that, he said he loves doing things with his family. "I have a great family," he said of his parents, Larry and Claudia Gassin — who joined the Church seven years before he was born — and his three older siblings.
He also plays the piano and trombone, was a member of his high school tennis team, loves to camp, and is a swim coach and life guard, and likes to go swing dancing with friends. "I like to stay busy," he stated. "I've always had a job. Working grounds me. It keeps me attached to other people." — Greg Hill
