California High School Class of 2016 graduate Alondra Saldivar has a passion for helping others. From her days leading Cal High Condors into community service projects as Interact Club president to her current role as a law graduate working for the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project in Arizona, Saldivar has worked tirelessly to champion human rights while inspiring others to become community volunteers. Saldivar’s post-secondary journey has been a whirlwind of education and advocacy, earning a bachelor’s degree in political science at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and a Juris Doctor degree at the University of San Francisco (USF), all while continuing to mentor young students and encourage them to pursue participation in community service clubs.
Three Fontana Unified School District elementary schools have been recognized for their excellence in closing the achievement gap with their selection for the prestigious 2025 California Distinguished Schools (CDS) Program. Beech Avenue, Date, and Shadow Hills elementary schools were named California Distinguished Schools by the California Department of Education (CDE) on March 25 in recognition of their academic growth and commitment to fostering positive school climates. Twenty-two Fontana Unified schools have earned the California Distinguished Schools award since its inception in 1985, with Shadow Hills receiving the distinction three times in its history. The schools earned the distinction under the program’s Closing the Achievement Gap category, based on data from the 2024 California School Dashboard. They will be honored at the California School Recognition Programs Awards Ceremony in Anaheim on Friday, May 30.
Pioneer High School senior Olivia Jimenez envisions a day when socially assistive robotics will provide equitable and affordable support for children with special needs, helping them with their cognitive development and social skills. Jimenez’s goal is to use the field of mechanical engineering as a template for doing good work. Jimenez became inspired to work in the field of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) after watching her sister, who is autistic, struggle to find the support she needed in under-resourced schools. Jimenez became fascinated with STEM, immersing herself in projects, exploring all possibilities, and searching for answers, a pursuit that led to her becoming Pioneer High’s Science Club president.
Ben Lomond Elementary School Principal Ryan Price will represent the state of California as the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Middle School Assistant Principal of the Year in Washington D.C., from April 9-12, recognizing her as a standout administrator who has dedicated 25 years to serving Covina-Valley Unified School District’s students and families. Price previously served as an assistant principal at Sierra Vista Middle School for five years. She was named the 2024 Secondary Co-Administrator of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) for Region 15 in the 2023-24 school year. She will join middle and high school assistant principals from across the country at the NASSP National Educational Leadership Awards program, where she will participate in networking, workshops, and celebrations.
Fontana Unified’s new academy will provide students and families with access to small class sizes and high-quality academic instruction, supporting the District’s commitment to meeting the needs of its community, particularly the rapid growth in the north end of Fontana. The innovative three-in-one campus will serve as a school, community engagement hub, and gallery space, honoring the history of Fontana while showcasing original student work. Design features include STEM labs and maker spaces, robotics and fabrication labs, media production studios, outdoor learning areas, a graphic design studio, a research hub and study lounge, and a gymnasium.
For more than three decades, the Institute for Evidence-Based Change (IEBC) founder and CEO Dr. Brad Phillips has dedicated his career to advancing student success in higher education, developing various organizations, frameworks, and systems each designed to remove barriers and enhance the student experience. In recognition of his transformative work, Phillips has been awarded the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award by the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges (RP Group). Each year, the RP Group honors a distinguished leader nearing the culmination of their career for outstanding contributions to institutional research, planning, and effectiveness within California’s community colleges. Phillips has long been a leader in these areas, championing data-driven approaches to improve student outcomes.
When La Serna High School Class of 2017 alumna Markie Wagner was in middle school, she was already coding and developing her own apps. After reading former Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ biography, Wagner’s desire for working in tech grew by leaps and bounds. When she arrived at La Serna, Wagner said she found the school’s science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) instruction lacking, and was determined to make meaningful changes to the curriculum. Today, Wagner is celebrated as the leading advocate and architect of La Serna’s award-winning computer science program, while continuing to advance her own career as a tech titan, artificial intelligence (AI) researcher, software engineer, Thiel Fellow, and founder and CEO of Forge.
Students in the Fontana Unified Theatre Conservatory will perform in the California Theatre of the Performing Arts’ upcoming showcase of “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.” The FUSD Theatre Conservatory partners with Theatrical Arts International Foundation Inc. to provide students with the opportunity to showcase their talents and gain real-world stage experience in a professional production. The general public can purchase tickets through Ticketmaster or by calling 909-885-8263.
At the start of Caring Campus sessions with college and university faculty, Caring Campus coaches ask the participants to reflect on someone who inspired them to become educators. Time and again, faculty recall that it was a professor who impacted their lives. This spring, faculty members across Texas are taking part in Caring Campus, a framework designed to equip them with behavioral commitments that foster a strong sense of community and connection, both inside and outside the classroom. By creating an environment where students feel they belong, faculty can help inspire students to succeed and increase retention and persistence rates.
Laughter and excitement filled the air as families, community members, and local dignitaries celebrated the grand opening of El Monte Union High School District’s (EMUHSD) Family and Community Engagement Center on March 26, an event that featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony and marked the debut of a hub dedicated to empowering families and strengthening school-community partnerships.
