When El Monte High School senior Dana Hua competes in a 24-hour computer coding hackathon, her ambition and drive compel her to sacrifice sleep so she can concentrate on helping her teammates develop praiseworthy apps and games that are educational and fun. Those long hours of hard work have finally paid off. Hua – a first-generation college-goer with a 4.41 GPA and 1550 SAT score – is among 1,127 seniors (out of 15,000 applicants) to be awarded the 2019 QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship, guaranteeing her a full four-year ride to a college partner.
About 220 Buena Park School District students crooned, grooved and danced their way through seven decades of music for more than 600 applauding parents and community members during the District’s third annual Choral Festival. The “Blast from the Past” themed festival on Feb. 20 featured students dressed as rockers, hippies and disco dancers as they sang popular songs from the 1950s through the 2010s at Thanksgiving Church.
South El Monte High School senior Santiago Alvillar has been fascinated with science, technology, engineering and math since he was a young child reading his older siblings’ high school textbooks. Now he has the opportunity to study the disciplines in Silicon Valley, learning from some of the country’s top educators at one of the most elite universities in the world. Alvillar, a first-generation college student, has been accepted as a member of Stanford University’s Class of 2024 through its Restrictive Early Action program. Stanford, which has an admission rate nearing or below 5%, will cover all expenses.
Firebaugh High School students joined Lynwood Unified Board members and community leaders on Feb. 21 to unveil a new campus mural as a crowd of nearly 500 celebrated arts and student achievement. Superintendent Gudiel R. Crosthwaite welcomed the Office of Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon to Firebaugh, Lynwood Mayor Aide Castro, Board President Gary Hardie Jr., PepsiCo North America West Division President Johannes Evenblij and Los Angeles Lakers great A.C. Green to the ceremony.
Firebaugh High School sophomore Elijah Arch always imagined the college experience as a stressful one, full of exams, assignments and little else. Arch has revised his thinking after attending the District’s seventh annual Black Teen Summit where he met college students who shared enriching experiences that transcend any midterm. Arch was one of nearly 250 students from Lynwood Unified’s high schools who learned about college life, entrepreneurship, and job and career resources during the Feb. 18 event, which was themed “Proud to be me - From Struggle Comes Strength.”
Río Hondo College’s Board of Trustees on Feb. 19 added its voice of support to the proposal to extend Metro’s Eastside Gold Line along Washington Boulevard instead of a route along Highway 60, saying the first option is easier to build and provides robust ridership opportunities. The light rail extension would run through Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs and end in Whittier – all communities served by Río Hondo College. The area is densely populated with low-income, mostly Latino residents.
Monrovia Unified’s Hippie Bots Travel to Robotics Competition in Spain
Monrovia Unified’s Clifton Middle School robotics team, the Hippie Bots, have been chosen as the sole representative of the United States to compete in the FIRST Tech Challenge Barcelona Championship in Spain. The competition, open to middle and high school students, will take place from Thursday, Feb. 27 to Friday, Feb. 28.
Fontana Unified will hold its inaugural Career Pathway Showcase from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, giving families the opportunity to learn about the array of career technical education (CTE) programs available in FUSD schools. Attendees can watch demonstrations, speak to CTE students and instructors, and explore the pathways available at Fontana Unified high schools. Pathways include mechatronics, TV production, renewable energy, aviation, automotive technology, Certified Nursing Assistant, fire technology and emergency medical response. The showcase will be held at the Lewis Library and Technology Center, 8437 Sierra Ave., Fontana.
Cypress Elementary will unveil its science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) classroom to the community during its annual Family STEAM Night at 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27. Attendees will be welcomed by Spark-E, a robot programmed by students to give greetings and jazz music performed by the Jurupa Hills High School band. The event will feature stations with various family-friendly STEAM activities, including robotics and a mobile planetarium. Cypress Elementary is at 9751 Cypress Ave., Fontana.
Los Angeles Rams Visit Inglewood’s Warren Lane Elementary School
In celebration of Black History Month, members of the Los Angeles Rams organization will visit with students at 11:45 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, at Warren Lane Elementary, 2602 W 79th St., Inglewood. Rams members will read “Dear Black Boy” by Martellus Bennett to classes and finish the reading with a pizza party.
