Dr. Peter Felten – Assistant Provost for Teaching and Learning, Executive Director of the Center for Engaged Learning, and Professor of History at Elon University – has spent his career championing the power of human connection in higher education. This November, he will bring his decades of research and insight to San Diego, Calif. as a keynote speaker at the inaugural Caring Campus Conference 2025: Building a National Culture of Care, taking place Nov. 12–14. A nationally recognized scholar and author, Felten co-wrote “The Undergraduate Experience: Focusing Institutions on What Matters Most” in 2016. While the book explored numerous key drivers of student success, it was the chapter on relationships in particular that struck a lasting chord. The response led Felten and his colleagues to dig deeper, resulting in the acclaimed “Relationship-Rich Education: How Human Connections Drive Success in College” – a book grounded in interviews with 400 students, faculty, and staff across more than two dozen institutions.
From classroom simulations to real-world takeoffs, A.B. Miller High School’s career technical education (CTE) aviation program continues to soar, as students work toward earning their pilot’s licenses, complete major flight training milestones, and launch careers in the aerospace industry. Senior Jesse Cuba is set to earn his private pilot license this summer after completing a major milestone: his first solo flight. Cuba would be the fourth A.B. Miller student in the last three years to secure a private pilot license the summer of their senior year. The A.B. Miller aviation program is a two-year course offering pathways to several rewarding careers in aerospace. It serves as a flight training school and includes a pilot training class, an airline mechanic class, and a flight simulator lab.
Hacienda La Puente Unified School District proudly unveiled the newly constructed Wedgeworth Elementary School with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 3, which featured performances by the Glen A. Wilson High School band and brought together city officials and their representatives, current and former board members, students, teachers, staff, and families to commemorate the grand opening.
More than 1,850 graduates took center stage in celebrations that featured vibrant tributes, powerful performances, stirring speeches, and fireworks as the El Monte Union High School District (EMUHSD) honored its Class of 2025 with a series of commencements on May 28 and June 5. Graduates from across the District are bound for leading universities, including Yale, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Princeton, Stanford, USC, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, and UCLA. Others plan to attend community college, enroll in trade programs, join the armed forces, or begin their careers. The EMUHSD Class of 2025 also earned prestigious honors for their excellence in academics, athletics, arts, and leadership, including the State Seal of Biliteracy, California Scholarship Federation Gold Seal, QuestBridge National College Match, and Edison scholarships. El Monte Union also bid farewell to South El Monte High School’s Andrea Pablo as she concluded her term as Student Board Member, where she served as a strong representative and champion for her peers.
Covina-Valley Unified School District honored the Class of 2025 with five uplifting commencement ceremonies held June 2-5, celebrating the accomplishments of more than 1,000 graduates as they enter the next chapter of their lives. Graduates from Northview, South Hills, and Covina high schools are headed to prestigious universities, including Harvard University; the University of Pennsylvania; the University of California, Los Angeles; the University of Southern California; the University of California, Irvine; the University of Oregon; and more. Many are attending these institutions with notable scholarships in hand, including the $50,000 Southern California Edison Scholarship and the $25,000 ACE Mentor Scholarship.
Six Fontana Unified School District elementary and middle school students are preparing to showcase their teamwork, coding, and critical thinking skills on a world stage at the 2025 World Robot Olympiad Open Championships to be held in Panama this October. Mango Elementary School’s Luis P. and Roman H., West Randall Elementary’s Joey Santana, and Wayne Ruble Middle School’s Flora F., Angel F., and Ivanna V. all qualified to represent Team USA Robotics and the United States Engineering League (USEL) at the World Robot Olympiad. They will compete in the challenge-based “RoboMission” category in the elementary and junior divisions, respectively.
More than 800 graduates from Chaparral-Vista, San Dimas, and Bonita high schools tossed their caps into the evening air as celebratory music swelled, earning thunderous applause during commencement ceremonies on June 3 and 5 that showcased the culture of each campus, shared stories of perseverance, and honored the achievements of Bonita Unified’s Class of 2025. Each high school celebrated graduates’ academic, artistic, and athletic successes, noting CIF championships, a national culinary title, regional and state honors for music, and more. Bonita Unified graduates will pursue higher education at institutions including Notre Dame University, UC Berkeley, Columbia University, Syracuse University, USC, and UCLA; others will enlist in the armed forces or enter the workforce, bolstered by the skills developed in the District’s career technical education pathways.
La Puente High School’s (LPHS) Career Technical Education (CTE) Public Safety Pathway has been recognized as a National School of Excellence by the Law and Public Safety Education Network (LAPSEN). It is one of only eight schools in California to receive this designation, which highlights exemplary programs in public safety education. In addition to the school-wide recognition, Challenge Coins – a respected honor awarded by peers in the field – were presented to Public Safety Pathway instructor Antonia Ramirez, LPHS counselor Melissa Bravata, and LPHS principal Dr. Lisa Lopez for their leadership and commitment to developing the pathway.
With the roar of student-athletes and the rhythm of the marching band, cheer, and color guard, El Monte High School (EMHS) marked the grand opening of its brand-new, state-of-the-art athletics facility with a spirited ribbon-cutting celebration on June 2. The long-awaited facility, now complete with a synthetic track and field, modern scoreboard, and upgraded amenities, stands as a symbol of El Monte Union High School District’s (EMUHSD) commitment to athletic excellence, student wellness, and community engagement. Funded by voter-approved Measure D and Measure HS bonds, the project is part of the District’s larger $190 million modernization initiative.
The San Dimas High School ProStart culinary team saw their long nights of prepping and months of hard work creating a world-class menu pay off in spectacular fashion as the five-member team was crowned the 2025 National ProStart Invitational champion, capping off the culinary program’s most successful year ever, and making District history in the process. San Dimas student chefs Kaila Khoury, Emma Johns, Emily Robertson, Kyle Yamate, and Renata Marcillo captured Bonita Unified’s first national championship, a goal that husband-and-wife duo Nick and Laurie Brandler, ProStart instructors at San Dimas and Bonita high schools, respectively, established when they first started bringing their student chefs to competition more than a decade ago.
