Pioneer High School senior Nydia Palacios is known as a natural leader and an academic role model who loves to challenge herself, acquiring both high school and college credits at a lightning pace while enjoying as many extracurricular activities as she can fit into one day. Palacios, who boasts a 4.05 GPA, entered her senior year with 286 credits, which far exceeds the traditional 220 credits needed to graduate. Palacios has also gotten a start on higher education, having completed seven community college dual enrollment courses, in addition to her myriad campus leadership positions and musical and athletic pursuits as a member of the PHS Jazz Band, track & field, and girl’s cross-country teams. Palacios’ love of volunteering has seen her devote countless hours to help serve those in need, whether she is engaging in afterschool tutoring for the Boys and Girls Club, or serving as a Youth Leader for her church. Palacios has also emerged as a campus leader. She is currently president of Pioneer’s PTSA Club and as a junior was vice president of the school site council.
Whittier Union students are getting a head start on their college education through a free dual enrollment partnership between the District and Río Hondo College (RHC), which allows students to take after-school courses for credit that are transferable to University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) schools. Beginning in their freshman year, Whittier Union students at all seven high schools can take one dual enrollment class per semester, plus summer school, and earn up to 30 college credits by the time they graduate. Students are encouraged to take courses that will qualify them for RHC’s Honors Transfer Program, which is designed to increase students’ chances of attending a four-year university.
Whittier Union High School District’s five comprehensive high schools have been ranked in the top 20% of public high schools nationwide and the top third in California by U.S. News & World Report, reflecting the District’s commitment to doing Whatever It Takes to prepare students for college, careers, and life. The rankings are based on six factors: college readiness, state assessment proficiency, state assessment performance, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth, and graduation rates.
Whittier Union High School District kicked off the 2025-26 school year with three days of vibrant back-to-school events that culminated in the first day of school on Aug. 13, when more than 9,582 students returned to campuses across the District ready to learn, grow, and thrive.
Whittier Union High School District (WUHSD) is taking a significant step forward in its efforts to expand and celebrate arts education, moving ahead with plans for its new Performing Arts Center (PAC) – a state-of-the-art facility that will serve visual and performing arts (VAPA) students from across the District. The PAC, set to be built on the northwest side of the United Sierra Education Center, recently received final approval from the Division of the State Architect. With this milestone complete, the District’s general contractor is moving forward with bidding out the work, which will then be submitted to the Board of Trustees for approval, tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 9. Construction is slated to begin shortly thereafter.
Frontier High School Class of 2018 graduate Brianna Aguirre has a passion for helping young adults get a fresh start. As a youth program aide for Río Hondo America’s Job Center of California (AJCC), Aguirre serves as a career planner for current Frontier High students seeking to take advantage of AJCC’s Youth at Work program. Working from the Río Hondo AJCC satellite office, located on the Frontier High campus, Aguirre assists students looking to receive paid work experience that may lead to a long-term career pathway. For Aguirre, it’s a meaningful way to give back to the community that once offered her guidance and encouragement during her time at Frontier High, helping her find her path as a foster youth.
Cheers and celebration filled the air across Whittier Union High School District as more than 2,100 graduates from the Class of 2025 turned their tassels and stepped boldly into the future during spirited commencement ceremonies held June 2 through 4. Seniors from the District’s five comprehensive high schools, two alternative campuses, and adult school were joined by proud families, friends, and dedicated school staff, all united in honoring the resilience, growth, and accomplishments of Whittier Union’s newest alumni. Santa Fe, Sierra Vista, and Frontier high schools, along with Whittier Union Adult School, kicked off the three days of celebration during commencement ceremonies on June 2, followed by La Serna High School and Whittier High School on June 3. California and Pioneer high schools concluded the festivities with ceremonies on June 4.
Whittier Union High School District seniors are preparing to take their next steps this fall, heading to colleges and universities across the country, with many leaving lasting legacies through academic achievement, leadership, and national recognition. Across Whittier Union, students are earning prestigious scholarships and acceptances to top-tier universities. Pioneer High School’s Olivia Jimenez was awarded the $50,000 Edison Scholarship and will attend Harvard University this fall. California High School’s Jonas Sanchez is heading to West Point, La Serna High School’s Aidan Reyes will attend Princeton University, and Whittier High School’s Edward Navarro will join Stanford University.
California High School Health Academy coordinator and science teacher Laurie Thomas has devoted four decades of her life to inspiring students through hands-on learning, critical thinking, and unwavering support – earning her the title of Whittier Union High School District’s (WUHSD) 2025 Teacher of the Year. Thomas has taught at WUHSD for 25 years, beginning her journey at California High as a physics teacher. Motivated by a desire to help a friend in need, she briefly stepped away from the classroom to attend nursing school, becoming a registered nurse in 2006. When she returned to Whittier Union, Thomas was invited to lead the school’s Health Academy.
For more than 20 years, the Whittier High School Chess Club has provided students with opportunities to match wits with classmates, develop their math, logic, and problem-solving skills, and engage with fellow chess enthusiasts from other schools throughout the state and nation. From a team perspective, the WHS Chess Club has dominated the Del Rio League, capturing the league title 12 times since 2008, being crowned Southern California Chess Federation (SCCF) State champions twice, while its junior varsity (JV) team has secured first place in the SCCF seven times. In the early 2020s, WHS female correspondence players dominated the United States Chess women’s correspondence rankings.
