Upland Unified School District has been recognized as “Favorite School District” in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards, with four Upland Unified schools also voted as favorites, including Sierra Vista and Valencia elementary schools, Upland Junior High School, and Upland High School. The Inland Valley Readers’ Choice Awards celebrate excellence in education throughout the Inland Valley region and acknowledge institutions that have demonstrated exceptional academic programs, award-winning athletics, and a lasting impact on the lives of students. Votes were tallied from ballots that ran on the Daily Bulletin’s website throughout January and February.
El Monte Union High School District (EMUHSD) will host commencement ceremonies to honor more than 1,850 graduating students from the District’s five comprehensive high schools, alternative high school, adult school, and transition center. EMUHSD’s Class of 2025 graduates have earned acceptance to top colleges, universities, and military programs, including Yale, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Princeton, Stanford, UCLA, and the United States Navy. Students have also garnered a wide range of academic, athletic, and artistic honors, including prestigious scholarships such as QuestBridge and Edison, the California State Seal of Biliteracy, state recognitions, league championships, and historic achievements in the visual and performing arts. The District is also bidding farewell to its graduating Student Board Member, South El Monte High School senior Andrea Pablo.
As part of a growing movement to strengthen student connection and success, four additional Texas community colleges are adopting the Caring Campus framework – a student-centered approach designed to foster belonging and improve student outcomes. Hill College, Brazosport College, Clarendon College, and Texarkana College are joining Caring Campus thanks to a grant from the Trellis Foundation, marking a significant expansion across the state. Hill College President Dr. Thomas Mills said he was drawn to Caring Campus after first learning about it at a Talent Strong Texas Pathways meeting more than a year ago.
Bonita Unified high school students looking toward careers in the healthcare industry have received invaluable experience as interns, thanks to an exclusive partnership with the San Gabriel/Pomona Regional Center (SG/PRC), which provided the students access to college-level no-cost training in the psychology, nursing, and social work fields Six Bonita Unified students took advantage of the career technical education (CTE) learning opportunity, which concluded in mid-May. The inaugural SG/PRC interns are: San Dimas High seniors Jazmine Cardenas (social work) and Marlie Walker (social work), San Dimas High junior Kamryn Henderson (psychology), and Bonita High juniors Morgan Salcido (psychology), Ranin Sour (nursing), and Katherine Situ (nursing).
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.
El Monte Union High School District’s Class of 2025 features several distinguished seniors who have excelled in academics, leadership, and service, exemplifying the District’s mission to empower resilient learners prepared to thrive in college, careers, and beyond.
Through career technical education pathways and college readiness programs such as Advancement Via Individual Determination, Early College Academy, Advanced Placement courses and dual enrollment, El Monte Union students are introduced to fields in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM), gaining access to industry-relevant training, hands-on learning, and the tools they need to succeed in post-secondary education and beyond.
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.
From her childhood days of teaching Cabbage Patch Kids to more than two decades of inspiring students in English and theatre at Marco Antonio Firebaugh High School, Kathleen Thomas Butiu has always been driven by a love for education. Lynwood Unified School District named Thomas Butiu its 2024-25 Teacher of the Year on May 8, recognizing her exceptional teaching, community involvement and dedication to student-centered learning.
Seventy-five Summit High School students are headed to New York for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase their musical talents on the iconic Carnegie Hall stage, after the school’s Fortepiano String Orchestra earned an invitation to perform at the prestigious National Band and Orchestra Festival in April 2026. Summit High is one of nine high schools or colleges nationwide selected to perform at the festival. The invitation-only event is coordinated by WorldStrides, an educational travel and experience provider that offers immersive learning opportunities. This will mark Summit High’s second appearance at the event after first qualifying in 2019.
Upland Unified School District is hosting its 15th annual Fusion Fest, a celebration of student creativity, learning, and achievement across all grade levels. The event will showcase the talents of students from the District’s ten elementary schools, two junior highs, and both comprehensive and continuation high schools. Attendees will enjoy a wide array of student work spanning visual and performing arts, career technical education programs, and, for the first time, engaging science demonstrations – all led by students.
