Alexis Amigon spent two anxious weeks in the hospital fighting COVID-19. Ana Garcia lost her job during the pandemic, after working for 20 years as a waitress. Seryna Thai had just graduated from USC film school when she became afflicted with fibromyalgia. All three women were determined to change the trajectory of their lives by enrolling at Fontana Adult School (FAS). Today, Amigon is considering a career as a certified respiratory therapist, Garcia has been hired as a bilingual educator for Riverside Unified School District, and Thai is looking forward to teaching digital media at FAS. Amigon and Garcia shared their stories during an emotional Fontana Adult School commencement ceremony, held June 10 at San Manuel Stadium.
The Citrus Belt Area Athletic Directors Association (CBAADA) recognized A.B. Miller High School Class of 2021 graduates Jhovanny Hernandez and Abigail Macedo as CBAADA 2021 Athletes of the Year for excellence in sports and in the classroom. Hernandez, who graduated with a 3.85 GPA, was a running back for A.B. Miller’s football team and sprinter on the track and field team. He will attend UC Riverside and study biology, with a dream of someday becoming an anesthesiologist or surgeon. Macedo, who graduated with a 3.4 GPA, played two years of volleyball and four years of soccer at A.B. Miller, serving as the team’s goalkeeper. She plans to continue playing soccer at the University of La Verne, where she will major in business, and hopes to become an entrepreneur and start her own business. Hernandez and Macedo, who both played multiple sports for A.B. Miller, received Citrus Belt patches and certificates.
A.B. Miller High School’s varsity baseball field will be renamed Frank Martinez Field to honor the retired physical education teacher who served as A.B. Miller’s first baseball coach, leading the team to 11 league championships, and guiding a generation of students to athletic and academic success. The renaming, approved by the Fontana Unified Board of Education on June 2, was initiated by former A.B. Miller players, including Samuel Lopez, a Class of 2001 graduate who teaches and coaches baseball at Summit High School, and Azusa High School Principal Dr. Martin Gomez. Lopez and Gomez helped collect nearly 300 letters of recommendation from former students and players in a single weekend.
Two Henry J. Kaiser High School Class of 2021 graduates, who were enrolled in the school’s college-prep elective Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), have received $1,500 scholarships to ease their transition into higher education, thanks to the Riverside Inyo Mono San Bernardino (RIMS) AVID Scholarship Program. Tim Rodriguez and Fatima Mejia are both first-generation college students who joined AVID as freshmen, developing study skills, learning about the college application process, accessing scholarship opportunities, and immersing themselves in a college-going culture. Rodriguez will attend Cal State San Bernardino and study computer science; Mejia will attend Cal Poly Pomona.
Fontana Unified’s Class of 2021 graduates turned their tassels as families cheered and colorful streamers cascaded through the air, marking their milestone achievement during dynamic commencement ceremonies at San Manuel Stadium, held June 8 to 10. The District honored graduates from its five comprehensive high schools, two continuation schools and adult school with outdoor, in-person ceremonies, featuring emotional speeches from standout students, tearful renditions of the schools’ alma maters, and marquee lights spelling “Class of 2021” adorning the field. The ceremonies, which implemented limited capacity and fixed seating in compliance with county health and safety guidelines, were also livestreamed via YouTube.
A.B. Miller High School’s Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) college-prep elective is celebrating a perfect score for its Class of 2021 graduates, with 100 percent of its AVID students accepted to a four-year university. All 65 A.B. Miller AVID graduates earned acceptance to at least one four-year college or university, spanning across a variety of University of California (UC) and California State University campuses, as well as private universities. They will continue their education at institutions that include UC Riverside, UC Irvine, Cal State San Bernardino, Cal State Los Angeles, Cal State Dominguez Hills, Cal State Northridge, Cal State Long Beach, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Fullerton, Cal State San Marcos, Cal Baptist, University of La Verne, and more. A.B. Miller High School has offered AVID since 1993 and is an AVID Highly Certified Site. Media contact: Lauren Creiman, 909-833-9853
When Jurupa Hills High School Class of 2021 graduate Jennifer Ibarra was young, she used to play teacher with her mom and stuffed animals, dreaming of someday having her own classroom. Ibarra’s love for teaching continued to develop as she grew into an academic leader at school and a Class of 2021 International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma candidate. Ibarra’s path to her dream career has become more financially secure thanks to a $10,000 scholarship from the James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund, which will help fund her studies at UC Riverside. The fund awards scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 to high school seniors who plan to attend a four-year college or university and are the children or financial dependents of Teamster members.
A.B. Miller High School Class of 2021 graduate Luzmila Munoz has been named a Dell Scholar by the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, an honor that comes with a $20,000 scholarship to support her dream of higher education. Munoz is a first-generation, college-bound Latina student who has a 4.46 GPA and has completed eight Advanced Placement classes, six Honors classes and eight dual-enrollment college classes. She plans to attend UC San Diego and major in computer science and engineering.
Fontana Unified Theater Students Advance to International Festival
Summit High School sister duo Vanessa and Victoria Reyes will represent Fontana Unified at the International Thespian Festival – held Tuesday, June 22 to Friday, June 25 – following dynamic, highly honored theatrical performances during the California State Thespian Festival. Vanessa, a rising senior and Victoria, a Class of 2021 graduate, diligently crafted virtual performances that earned superior markings from the judges during the state competition, exceeding all requirements and performing at an “above standard” quality. Vanessa and Victoria share a love of the arts that has flourished at Summit High School, inspiring Victoria to remain involved in local theater after graduation and Vanessa to pursue a career as a voice actor.
Fontana Unified School District was recognized as a state leader in the field of cybersecurity education during the inaugural Inland Empire (IE) Cybersecurity Apprenticeship Symposium, held virtually on May 24. The symposium brought together local leaders from IE business and academic sectors to pledge support for an apprenticeship initiative that can be replicated in regions across the state. Summit High School junior Gabriel Navarro spoke to business and academic leaders about the importance of building a skilled local workforce through apprenticeships. As an integral member of Summit’s cybersecurity team, Navarro has helped lead the team to gold medals in events such as the Mayor’s Cup and SkillsUSA.
