Fontana Unified to Celebrate Class of 2022 with Graduation Ceremonies
Fontana Unified School District will honor the Class of 2022 – a group of high-achieving students headed to institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, UC Berkeley, UCLA, the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and more – with lively commencement ceremonies at the Toyota Arena, 4000 Ontario Center, Ontario, concluding with two final ceremonies on Friday, May 27. Jurupa Hills High School will celebrate its commencement at 3 p.m., while Summit High School will honor its graduates at 7 p.m.
Covina-Valley Unified School District and 16 of its schools were honored by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond with the 2022 California Pivotal Practice (CAPP) Award, recognizing their successful implementation of innovative practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Winners of the newly created CAPP Award Program were announced on April 26, celebrating a total of 727 schools and 121 school districts for their efforts to support students during the 2020-21 school year, when California schools were required to shift to distance learning. During the pandemic, Covina-Valley Unified focused its efforts on supporting students in four target areas: ensuring their engagement and social emotional well-being, distributing essential technology and providing nutrition services.
Rosemead High School Senior Kaila Wong has wanted to pursue medicine since she was in middle school, and with the help of $34,000 in support through the University of California’s Blue and Gold Opportunity program, she will begin making this dream a reality when she steps onto the campus of the University of California, Berkeley, this fall. The Blue and Gold Opportunity program fills in any gaps in funding between the grants and scholarships a student receives and their calculated financial need, ensuring that college is affordable for California residents.
Banning Unified School District will host a Meet and Greet event with Superintendent Terrence Davis and the Board of Education to discuss the past, present and future of the District. The Meet and Greet will be held at 5 p.m. on May 23 in the multipurpose room at Banning High School, 100 W. Westward Ave. Among those invited to the event are the Banning Chamber of Commerce members, elected officials, parents, students, staff and the greater community. During the event, community members will have the opportunity to comment on developments in the District and ask questions about opportunities available to students.
Hacienda La Puente Unified honored nearly 1,300 Class of 2022 graduates from its four comprehensive high schools and alternative high school. Valley High, William Workman High and La Puente High held festivities on May 17, followed by Glen A. Wilson High and Los Altos High, which concluded the celebrations on May 19. The ceremonies featured choir and band performances, chants, alma mater support, salutes, and heartfelt speeches from exceptional students.
Nearly 500 Lynwood community members are expected to hit the streets for a 5K Run/Walk that will raise money for students through the Lynwood Partners Educational Foundation. The Foundation, a partner of the Lynwood Unified School District, is collaborating with the City of Lynwood and Aztlan Athletics for the city’s first 5K event in nearly a decade. The 3.1-mile route will start and finish at City Hall. All proceeds will benefit the Lynwood Partners Educational Foundation. Access to vendor and resource booths, and a raffle drawing for a new Mazda Mitsubishi are scheduled for the awards ceremony following the race.
Fontana Unified high school students filled the stands of A.B. Miller High School’s football stadium on May 12, each eagerly wishing to hear their name called and claim the grand prize – a 2022 Chevrolet Equinox – at the District’s Perfect Attendance Spells Success (PASS) event. Held for high school students who have maintained a 94 percent attendance rate, have a GPA of 2.7 or higher, and have not received any out-of-school suspensions, PASS celebrates students’ commitment to their education and highlights the importance of attending school. Nearly 60 prizes, ranging from $250 scholarships to televisions, were awarded to students in a random drawing; ultimately, Jurupa Hills High School senior Martin Aguilar took home the top prize, donated by Rotolo Chevrolet.
Family means everything to Jurupa Hills High School senior Alejandro De La Torre, who routinely rises at 5 a.m. so he can better balance his studies and cross country training, while also making time to work at his father’s auto repair shop and serving as chief nutritionist and caretaker for his parents. De La Torre, who feels he can best serve his family and community by learning more about e-commerce and pursuing a law career, will attend the University of Wisconsin at Madison to pursue his goals, thanks to a full-ride Posse Foundation scholarship. De La Torre, an International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme candidate ranked first in his class with a 4.72 GPA, is one of 10 Los Angeles Posse Scholars selected to attend the school.
Students from the Whittier Union High School District’s five comprehensive high schools, two alternative high schools and adult school will celebrate the conclusion of their academic journeys in the District during stadium commencement ceremonies. Ceremonies will be held at full capacity at the District’s two stadiums. This year, the Whittier Union Board of Trustees will honor a group of students from each comprehensive high school with the 2022 Trustee Award. Honorees were recommended by principals, counselors and teachers for outstanding academic achievement and demonstrating exemplary citizenship during their four years of high school.
Río Hondo College’s Reaching Institutionalized Students through Education (RISE) Scholars program will receive significant additional funding to provide counseling, peer tutoring, mentoring and other services, thanks to a Rising Scholars Network grant from the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO). The CCCCO grant will provide more than $460,000 – spread over three years – to the RISE Scholars program, an award-winning Río Hondo College academic initiative that seeks to educate and empower formerly incarcerated students or those impacted by the criminal justice system. This is the first year the RISE Scholar program has received the CCCCO grant.
