Crystal and Kevin McComas, Lawrence, announce the adoption of their son, Eli Garrett McComas, born March 2, 2009, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital, with the adoption finalized April 13.

His maternal grandparents are Susan Johnson, Moundridge, and Galen Johnson, Smolan; paternal grandparents are Carl and Karen McComas, Lawrence; and great-grandparents are Marion Casey, Torrance, Calif., and Vernon and Maxine Johnson, Smolan.

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Ellie Berland, 15, and Charnele Franklin, 17, both of Lawrence, have been chosen as state finalists in the National American Miss Kansas Pageant July 26-27 at the Hyatt Regency in Wichita. Pageants are for girls ages 4 to 18, in five age groups.

The winner of the pageant will receive a $1,000 cash award, the official crown and banner, a bouquet of roses and air transportation to compete in the national pageant at Disneyland in California.

Berland, daughter of Russ and Denise Berland, will compete with girls ages 13-15. She is a sophomore at Lawrence High School, where she is a cheerleader and active in sophomore choir. Berland also participates in peer panels on drug and alcohol abuse prevention as well as bullies2buddies and Unitown.

Franklin, daughter of Yolanda Franklin, will compete with girls ages 16-18. She is a sophomore at Free State High School, where she is active in singing, dancing, track and the Diversity Club. Franklin also sings in the church choir at Praise Temple Church of God in Christ.

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Amanda and Brian Stanley, Garnett, announce the birth of their son, Payton Ryan Stanley, born April 2, 2009, at St. Luke’s South Hospital, Overland Park.

His maternal grandparents are Jere and Connie Setter, Garnett; paternal grandparents are Randy and Lori Stanley, Lawrence, and Robert and Sara Sloan, Baraboo, Wis.; and great-grandparents are Bill and Ann Michael, Colony; Mary Setter, Garnett; and Vera Stanley, Watseka, Ill.

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Braxton Nottingham, Lawrence, has been named one of 41 undergraduate students at Oklahoma State University to receive a $4,500 Lew Wentz Foundation Project Award for the 2009-2010 academic year.

His project will be “Regulation of Spindle Positioning by Phosphorylation,” and he will work with faculty mentor Rita K. Miller.

Nottingham, a junior majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology, is a graduate of Baldwin High School and the son of David and Lois Nottingham, Lawrence.

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Ian Adema, Lawrence, will earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication arts today from Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Ill. Kathy Engelken, executive director, Illinois Campus Compact, will deliver the address at the commencement ceremony.

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Jeremy Sheehan, Bonner Springs, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in health and exercise science from Centenary College, Shreveport, La. The commencement ceremony was May 9.

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Randy Helphrey, Lawrence, is one of 36 Washburn University School of Business students recently inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma international honor society.

Earlier in the semester, Helphrey, a senior accounting majoring, was one of 30 business students who placed at the 90th percentile on the Major Field Test in Business.

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The Adam and Adeline Elston Family will have a reunion from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. May 24 in Building 21 North at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, 2110 Harper. For reservations, call Cheryl Flessing at 843-3083. Light refreshments will be provided. Please bring family photos and a camera.

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Two Lawrence elementary students are leaping high after placing in the top five in their grade level for an international math competition called Math Kangaroo.

Harrison Hughes ranked second in the nation for third-graders, and sixth-grader Zachary Moore ranked fourth in the country. Both are students at Langston Hughes School.

Math Kangaroo is for grades 2 -12 and is every third Thursday in March. This is the 12th year that the United States has conducted the math competition.

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Kelly Cannon Boeckman, an MBA candidate from Lawrence, received the Sterling-Rice Outstanding Marketing Student Award at Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Out of the 153 Leeds students graduating this spring in marketing, three undergraduates and three Master of Business Administration candidates were chosen as finalists based on various factors, including grade-point average, extracurricular activities and faculty impressions of the students. The finalists and winners were honored at the Leeds School Recognition Ceremony May 7 at the Koelbel Building.

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Two Lawrence High School seniors are recipients of a $1,000 scholarship from Youth Entrepreneurs Kansas, a nonprofit organization that teaches entrepreneurial skills in high school classrooms.

Adam Schwager and Jamie Morris, who is also cited as a Washburn Scholar, are the only students in Lawrence receiving this scholarship.

YEK gave out more than $92,000 worth of scholarships this year to students in

Wichita, Topeka, Lawrence, Kansas City, Kan., and south-central Kansas.

YEK teaches students free enterprise fundamentals with hands-on learning experiences.

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Washburn University announces area graduates. Commencement ceremonies will be today at various times and buildings on the campus. Candidates for summer graduation may also walk in spring commencement.

Area graduates, listed by their degrees, are:

• Associate’s degrees: Joshua Hobbs, applied science, McLouth; Kyle Underhill, humanities and creative performing arts, Perry; Donnie Clancy, health information technology; Richard Cook, health information technology; Jennifer Hutchins, physical therapist assistant; Carl Lisher, respiratory therapy; Nathan Richards, respiratory therapy; and Jeffrey Tildes, physical therapist assistant; all of Lawrence.

• Bachelor’s degrees : Ashlea Abel, elementary education, Baldwin City; Amy Farmer, elementary education, cum laude, and Kevin Jackson, applied science, DeSoto; Jennifer Tyler, nursing, Eudora; Kelli Ambrose, sociology; Ryan Cox, elementary education; Drew Duncan, psychology; Jessica German, nursing; Jana Glass, nursing, cum laude; Nga Haake-Chau, nursing; Randy Helphrey, business administration, cum laude; Leanna Herrmann, nursing; Amy Johnson, legal studies; Michele Kelin, nursing, magna cum laude; Elliot Lauxman, music; Kim Ledbetter, elementary education, summa cum laude; Anh Nguyen, nursing; Angela Pearson, elementary education; Richard Ryan, health services administration; Fatoumata Sow, nursing; Scott Tanner, sociology, cum laude; Lauren Tate, nursing, cum laude; Kylee Tibbits, nursing; Melissa Van Horn, forensic chemical science; Samuel Villeareal, history; and Amanda Whitaker, art education; all of Lawrence; Aaron Gardner, criminal justice, McLouth; Tracie Bishop, health science, cum laude, Oskaloosa; Kasey Wiscombe, nursing, cum laude, and Krystal Wiscombe, nursing, both of Overbrook; Molly Pruitt, nursing, and Jason Reed, business administration, both of Perry; Sarah Maas, nursing, magna cum laude, Tonganoxie; Krystle Barthol, athletic training, magna cum laude, Wellsville.

• Master’s degrees: Oscar Rodriguez, education, Baldwin City; Justin Allen, psychology; Bryan Anderson, education; Carisa Cooper, social work; Laverne Haag, social work; and Wendy Hensley, social work; all of Lawrence.

• Juris doctorate: Elizabeth Oliver, Baldwin City; Stacey Anderson, Elizabeth Hickert Fike, and Emily Yessen, all of Lawrence.

Area summer graduates are listed by their degrees:

• Associate’s degree: Megan Hawman, radiologic technology, and Stephen Smith, radiologic technology, Lawrence; and Shannon Bailey, radiologic technology, Lecompton.

• Bachelor’s degrees: Katie Keith, integrated studies, Basehor; Tyler Abel, art; Jesse Allen, anthropology; Clinton Herrman, criminal justice; James Rine, criminal justice; and Cicely Thornton, criminal justice, all of Lawrence; and Sarah King, art, cum laude, Oskaloosa.

• Master’s degrees: Kofi Boye-Doe, criminal justice, Lawrence; and Brent Mumford, education, Overbrook.

• Juris doctorate: Joshua Ney, Lawrence; and Richard Courson, Overbrook.