Covina-Valley Unified School District celebrated the resilience and extraordinary accomplishments of its diverse Class of 2023 with five vibrant graduation ceremonies filled with powerful music, moving speeches, and festive streamer cannons. Over four days, a total of 1,064 Covina-Valley Unified graduates were individually recognized and had their names read aloud to packed, cheering crowds filled with friends and family. The District’s Class of 2023 included 38 valedictorians and 229 graduates with honors for attaining GPAs of 3.65 to 4.0.
When Brandon Calderon walked across the stage to accept his high school diploma at South Hills High School’s commencement ceremony on June 7, it capped a run of nearly perfect high school attendance – an uncommon achievement in a post-pandemic world. Calderon only missed one day of school in his four years of high school – when he took a day off after finals to attend his sister’s graduation.
Covina-Valley Unified School District Medical Pathway Teacher Nikki Rodriguez-Ahern and South Hills High School senior Karissa Ramos provided medical expertise and life-saving care when they encountered a medical emergency in the community on April 26. Just four days before the medical intervention, Rodriguez-Ahern had led her C-VUSD Medical Pathway students, including Ramos, through a CPR certification course. For her heroic actions, Covina-Valley Unified’s Board of Education honored Rodriguez-Ahern at the May 8 Board meeting.
Covina-Valley Unified School District will celebrate the Class of 2023 with energetic commencement ceremonies, honoring graduates in the District’s three comprehensive high schools, alternative high school and adult education school. All three comprehensive high school graduations for Covina, Northview and South Hills high schools will be held at the Covina District Field located at 220 W. Puente Ave., Covina. Covina High will begin the festivities at 7 p.m. on Monday, June 5, followed by Northview High at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 6. Fairvalley High will host its ceremony inside the Dr. Mary Hanes Center at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, June 7, located at 220 West Puente Ave., which is followed by South Hills High at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 7. Tri-Community Adult Education School will round out the ceremonies at South Hills High at 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 8, located at 645 W. Barranca St., West Covina.
Covina-Valley Unified School District (C-VUSD) celebrated its success in fostering “Educational Excellence for Every Student, Every Day” during its first-ever State of the District event on May 16, which featured a one-of-a-kind multimedia presentation that detailed the District’s innovative programs and achievements. Board President Maria Caceres and Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Eminhizer led the event, featuring heartfelt accounts by students from all three of the District’s comprehensive high schools on the impact of District programming. The multimedia presentation gave an overview of Covina-Valley Unified and highlighted the innovative programs and accomplishments that make the District a standout educational institution in the region.
South Hills High School English Language Development teacher Tiffany Liang has been recognized by Disney Imagination Campus as one of 100 teachers from across the country who empower and inspire the next generation of creative thinkers. Liang not only teaches English language skills to students new to the country, but also crafts inventive lessons to help them adapt to a new culture and build meaningful relationships. Liang, who was selected from more than 7,900 applicants, was celebrated alongside fellow educators from across the country at Disneyland Resort from May 4-7, just ahead of National Teacher Appreciation Week. Liang was recognized by the Disney Imagination Campus panel for a classroom assignment she uses that has her students conducting personal interviews with classmates and creating a digital book to help them get to know each other better, promoting meaningful connections and communication.
South Hills High School’s Nicole Lee stands to become a first-generation college student in her family after receiving a combined $90,000 in college scholarships from the Edison Scholarship and Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship and Internship. Lee’s story of strength, both personal and academically, helped her standout in the scholarship application process. She was born deaf in her left ear and hard of hearing in her right ear to a family that emigrated from China in 2002. Lee learned to speak and hear in Covina-Valley Unified School District’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program. She plans to study electrical engineering and computer science in college.
Covina High School senior Heidi Alhannat dreams of breaking down barriers and showing others that they can do anything they set their minds to. This passion has driven Alhannat to outstanding achievement in her academic and personal pursuits, earning her recognition as a National Merit Scholarship finalist. National Merit Scholarship semifinalists are made up of students that score in the top 1% of the Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test (PSAT), which equates to roughly 16,000 students nationwide. That pool of students is then narrowed down to roughly 15,000 finalists based on their transcripts, extracurricular activities, a personal statement essay, and a personal recommendation. About 7,250 National Merit Scholarships are then given out after further evaluating students’ abilities, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies.
South Hills High School American Sign Language (ASL) teacher Sonya Wilson has always been determined to explore new opportunities and pursue her passions, despite the challenges posed by her Deafness. Wilson views being Deaf in the outdoors as an asset because it heightens her senses and connects her with her surroundings as she pursues her biggest passion: rock climbing. Wilson’s love for climbing was sparked after she took an outdoor class in her sophomore year at Azusa Pacific University. She became fascinated by the equipment and the excitement she felt when climbing. However, Wilson quickly realized how difficult it was to find people willing to climb with a Deaf climber. Wilson's challenges inspired her creation of the ASL Climbing Network in 2012, a Facebook group intended for Deaf climbers and ASL signers that aims to cultivate a community of individuals who share a love for climbing and to organize meetups.
Three Covina-Valley Unified School District sites will have dynamic new principals as Terry Abernathy leads South Hills High School, Nick Garcia steps in at Sierra Vista Middle School, and Dr. Leo Magallón takes over at Northview High School for the 2023-24 school year. All three principals were unanimously approved during a Board of Education meeting on April 10. They will start their new positions on July 1, 2023.
