Two El Monte Union High School District seniors are among 30 high school students from across the Southland to receive $40,000 STEM college scholarships from Edison International during surprise announcements. South El Monte High School senior Sandra Amezcua Rocha was surprised during her Spanish Literature class on March 26 and El Monte High School senior Connie Lee received the exciting news via Skype on March 19. The duo was selected from more than 2,000 applicants.
El Monte High School Senior Awarded Sports Scholarship
Each time El Monte High School hurdler Derek Song steps onto the track, he pushes himself to improve on his previous times; however, it is his kindness toward opponents and support for his teammates that earned him the Positive Coaching Alliance’s Triple-Impact Competitor. Song is one of 10 Los Angeles-area high school scholar-athletes to receive the recognition and a $3,000 scholarship from the nationwide nonprofit organization that works to develop better athletes and citizens.
Rosemead High School Culinary Arts students are using their kitchen techniques and entrepreneurial skills to serve nutritious breakfasts and fresh-baked treats at the student-run Panther Café, which opens every school day at 6:50 a.m. The Panther Café, which derives all its income from the nearly 150 food items sold per day, will receive a boost in funding during the A Taste and Sound of El Monte/South El Monte event on Thursday, March 22 at Grace Black Auditorium, 3130 Tyler Ave., El Monte.
In its first year as a Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) Division I school, Rosemead High School’s Academic Decathlon team earned a fourth-place finish at the LACOE Academic Decathlon, advancing to the California State Championship on Friday, March 23 and Saturday, March 24 in Sacramento.
Follow-up Story: Fernando R. Ledesma High School is one of 32 schools in the state to be recognized by the California Department of Education as a 2018 Model Continuation High School for creating an outstanding program for at-risk youths, implementing instructional strategies, flexible scheduling, and guidance and counseling services. The school, which will retain the designation for three years, will be recognized at the 2018 California Continuation Education Association (CCEA) State Conference in April.
The El Monte Union High School District is teaming up with Rio Hondo College to provide free college courses to South El Monte High School students, paving the way for the teens to get a jumpstart on earning 25-40 college credits. The program, which is being designed, is expected to launch in fall 2018. A parent orientation meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 17 at South El Monte High School, 1001 Durfee Ave., South El Monte.
El Monte-Rosemead Adult School Receives $15,000 for Scholarships
Follow-up Story: The El Monte-Rosemead Adult School received a $15,000 donation from the Stanley W. Ekstrom Foundation for student scholarships. Ekstrom founded Cardinal Industrial Finishes in South El Monte and advocated for schools and education. The donation will be distributed to about 75 adult school students, each of whom will receive $200 to support their educational goals.
Follow-up Story: El Monte Union High School District Superintendent Dr. Edward Zuniga touted District successes, highlighted award-winning academic programs through live student demonstrations and discussed El Monte Union’s outlook over the next few years during the first-ever State of the District on Feb. 24. The event – held at the El Monte High School Auditorium – included an overview of the District's new vision, mission and goals, adopted this school year by the Board of Trustees, as well as its motto: Community Committed to College and Career.
In partnership with Foothill Family Service, El Monte Union is hosting Spanish-language workshops to provide parents with information, resources and guidance on such issues as bullying, goal setting, drug use and anxiety. The parent-child workshops run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. once a month on Wednesdays. Upcoming workshops will be on April 18 at El Monte High School and May 9 at South El Monte High School.
Follow-up Story: Nearly 100 El Monte-Rosemead Adult School students completed their respective programs and celebrated with end-of-year ceremonies in December. A dozen students lit candles and devoted themselves to the care of others with the Nightingale Pledge as part of the vocational nursing program's pinning ceremony on Dec. 15. The program prepares students to take state nursing board exams, which qualify them to work in the field or continue their studies in a college-level registered nursing program. On Dec. 21, 80 English as a Second Language (ESL) students received certificates of completion, providing them the opportunity to pursue a career technical education program at EMRAS or advance in their careers.
