Students from Whittier High School’s Cardinal Academy of Technology (CAT) continued a cherished end-of-year tradition when they made their annual holiday visit to Lydia Jackson College Prep Academy to spread holiday cheer on Dec. 6, delighting dozens of Lydia Jackson second grade students. The holiday visit has been a tradition for the two schools for 20 years, with Whittier High juniors enrolled in the CAT program bearing gifts, telling stories, and singing songs to the elementary students, while also inspiring the students to consider pursuing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects as they progress through school.
La Serna High School freshman biology students took their first steps as marine biologists, with a deep dive through the San Pedro Channel and observing the Pacific Ocean ecosystem, through a unique, immersive multimedia experience brought to campus by the Natural History Museum’s (NHM) “An Ocean Experience” Mobile Museum program. Inside the mobile museum, meticulously transformed into the submersible DSV Sea Nettle to simulate a deep-sea expedition, students received a closer look at underwater species, including squids, sea turtles, sharks, shellfish, and myriad other obscure yet vital organisms that live in the ocean. Led by NHM educator Augie VanDeVeer, who posed as captain of the DSV Sea Nettle, the submersible set off in search of an “anomaly” – in this case, a blue whale carcass lying at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean – and discussed its ecological impact and the efficient way that ocean species use organic biodegradation to keep its ecosystem thriving and robust.
When the Pioneer High School football team struggled during a mid-season slump, coach Ramon Juarez inspired his players by telling them they were on the cusp of greatness if they never stopped believing in themselves. Pioneer shook off decades of frustration and disappointment by capturing their first-ever CIF Southern Section (CIF-SS) football title, after defeating San Gabriel High by a final score of 13-6 in the Division 14 championship game on Nov. 30. The game was played in front of 2,000 passionate supporters at Dick Torres Memorial Stadium, which included Titan alums from as far back as the 1960s.
When Whittier High School junior Anika Monzon and her sister, sophomore Adelina Monzon, saw the Tournament of Roses Parade in person on New Year’s Day, they felt great pride in seeing their older brother, Whittier High Class of 2024 graduate Myles Monzon, march in the Honor Band, performing on the tenor drum. This year, it will be a Monzon family affair, as Anika and Adelina are among five Whittier Union students selected to perform at the 2025 Rose Parade as members of the Pasadena City College (PCC) Tournament of Roses Honor Band, joining Myles, currently a PCC student, who was again selected to play tenor drum.
Whittier Union High School District students reached new academic heights on the 2023-24 California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) test, reflecting the District’s commitment to student success and college and career readiness. The CAASPP is a statewide test that evaluates student proficiency in English language arts (ELA), mathematics, and science. Whittier Union 11th graders achieved record-high District scores across the board, with 65% meeting or exceeding standards in ELA, 37% in math, and 39% in science. These results significantly surpassed state averages of 56%, 28%, and 32%, respectively. Additionally, the scores represent continued growth from 2022-23, when the District achieved 62% in ELA and 31% in math.
La Serna High School girls flag football coach Dylan Long wasn’t sure what to expect when tryouts were announced ahead of the school’s inaugural year of Del Rio League play after flag football became sanctioned as the newest CIF-Southern Section sport for the 2024-25 school year. Long, a Class of 2021 La Serna High graduate, hoped that enough female athletes would show interest so he could put together a complete roster - he didn’t need to worry. When 118 girls came to tryouts, Long said he realized not only is the sport extremely popular, but would be a lot of fun to coach with motivated players looking to create legacies in a new sport. La Serna High School's flag football team overcame a challenging start to the season and is now celebrating a dominant run. As the season wraps up, they now hold the title of the sport’s first-ever Del Rio League champions.
Pioneer High School senior Jesus Barradas has a strong bond with his family, a loving connection that has enabled him to move forward confidently with his education and become a campus leader who personifies academic excellence, perseverance, and character. Barradas, who boasts a 4.25 GPA, has consistently challenged himself by taking a rigorous course load, including multiple Advanced Placement classes, dual enrollment courses at Río Hondo College, and three years in Pioneer High’s Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program, demonstrating a strong commitment to college readiness.
At Pioneer High School (PHS), the images greet students and staff as they navigate the hallways on their way to class – portraits of Bob Marley and Emiliano Zapata, a mountainside paradise, an Aztec calendar, the penetrating eye from George Orwell’s “1984” – images that beautify the campus and provide a nurturing environment for learning. The artwork is the product of Pioneer High Class of 2012 graduate Domingo Perez, whose meticulous craftsmanship and collages have become a daily source of inspiration and Titan pride. Perez’s sublime portraits and artistic flourishes adorn nearly a dozen classroom doors at Pioneer, part of an ongoing project that began when Perez was still a PHS student painting his friend’s backpacks for fun.
When Santa Fe High School Class of 2004 graduate Ryan Bateman played for the legendary Chieftain varsity football squads of the early 2000s, he rarely felt the agony of defeat. During Bateman’s three years on varsity, the team went undefeated in league play. Now, Bateman is back at Santa Fe and continuing his legacy of excellence on and off the field. Bateman returned to Santa Fe in 2023 as its new head football coach, tasked with turning around a team that had won just five games in its previous five years. The impact was immediate. One year after the Chieftains completed their season with a 0-10 record, Santa Fe High reemerged as a Del Rio League contender, finishing the year with a 9-4 record and making it to the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 12 playoffs.
Longtime Whittier resident Yoshio Nakamura, whose engaging personality and gentle encouragement transformed the highly-decorated World War II combat veteran into a much beloved and influential art teacher for multiple generations of Whittier students, returned to Whittier High School on Sept. 7, when the District officially dedicated the school’s art building in his honor. The Whittier community, which included the Whittier Union Board of Trustees, Congressional representatives, City Council members, former students, and veterans from the U.S Armed Forces, gathered to honor the 98-year-old Nakamura, known to everyone as “Yosh,” for his longtime career in education, which included 10 years as an art teacher at Whittier High School and nearly 30 years as an art teacher, dean, and vice president at Río Hondo College.
