Whittier High School senior Adria Marin likes to take the initiative. Whether she is volunteering for a nonprofit organization, advocating for underrepresented students, creating a photography portfolio or building a pathway to higher education, Marin always does her research, comes prepared and leaves nothing to chance. Marin, who has a 4.4 GPA, has received early acceptance to Barnard College in New York City – one of the prestigious “Seven Sisters” universities – where she plans to study political science and French, with a career focus on international relations. For her leadership and devotion to advocacy, Marin was presented with an Award of Merit by the Whittier Union Board of Trustees during a Feb. 14 Board meeting.
Whittier Union High School Basketball Team Advances to CIF Finals
The La Serna High School Lancer boys’ varsity basketball team are looking to cap off a dream season with a championship when they take on St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy in the CIF Division 3AA Finals at noon on Saturday, Feb. 25 at Colony High School. La Serna advanced to the finals after defeating Camarillo High School 41-38 in a semifinal match on Feb. 17. La Serna is riding a hot streak, having won 16 of its last 17 games. Colony High School is located at 3850 E. Riverside Dr., Ontario.
Santa Fe High School Max Villanueva is dedicated to constantly bettering himself, whether it is in the classroom, where he sports a 4.22 GPA, as a member of the school’s cross country/track and swim teams, or when it comes to his impact on the environment. That determination has led Villanueva to receive a full-tuition Posse Foundation scholarship to attend Middlebury College. He has also been an active leader in several school clubs such as science, technology, engineering, art, and math club; Earth Alive, an environmental club; Youth Alive, a faith-based club, and Men Achieving Greatness, which focuses on leadership and volunteerism.
Does overcharging your electronic devices cause climate change? What is the effect of Ph levels on algae growth? Do vegan cleaning products work better than non-vegan products? Pioneer High School STEM students attempted to answer these questions and more during the school’s first annual Science Fair, held Feb. 2-3, providing a showcase for its future engineers and scientists. Among the winning projects at the fair was an automatic pet feeder made almost entirely out of cardboard and duct tape, which was awarded Best of Show, and a hydraulic robotic arm made of cardboard, popsicle sticks and plastic syringes, which won first place in the environmental science category.
Sporting their favorite Los Angeles Dodgers gear, Whittier High School students created a sea of blue and white in the school’s gym as they received a special visit from the Dodgers during a schoolwide Hispanic Heritage-themed pep rally on Feb. 3. Whittier High’s 1,700 students had the opportunity to meet Dodgers players and legends and play a variety of games with them during the pep rally, which was part of the team’s Love LA 2023 Community Tour. The Cruz Show from Real 92.3 pumped up students and emceed the event. The Whittier High School visit was part of several other stops on the Dodgers 19th annual community service tour, which focused on expressing gratitude and providing fun-filled activities and experiences for Dodger fans throughout Los Angeles County.
La Serna High School has been recognized by the College Board for expanding young women’s access to Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science classes, presenting the school with its 2022 AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award. This is the second year La Serna has received the award. The Female Diversity award is given to schools that have 50% or more female exam-taker representation in its AP Computer Science Principles (AP CSP) class or a percentage of CSP exam takers that meets or exceeds that of the school’s female population. La Serna is one of just 832 high schools across the country to receive the award in 2022. AP CSP is an introductory course that provides a thorough overview of computer science, from learning programming languages like Python, to website building with HTML and CSS. Glass compares the class to sampling different flavors at an ice cream shop, allowing students to discover which aspects of computer science appeal to them.
Whittier Union Students Display Talents During Whittier Sings Event
Whittier-area students came together for a fun-filled day of singing and making new friends and memories during the District’s Whittier Sings event on Jan. 25. Whittier Sings is a one-day choir camp for middle and high school students in the District’s attendance area. During the event, students were provided with lunch, dinner, a t-shirt and the opportunity to make music with one another. The event, which took place at the Vic Lopez Auditorium in Whittier High School, saw students participate in teambuilding games and rehearsals as they prepared for an informal free concert in the evening.
Hacienda La Puente Highlights Successes During State of the District
Hacienda La Puente Unified showcased a year of growth and success during its eighth annual State of the District on Jan. 19, returning to a live presentation after two years of holding the event virtually. Hosted by HLPUSD Superintendent Dr. Alfonso Jiménez, and with a theme of “Explore, Learn, Grow: Inspire Deep Learning,” the State of the District highlighted the past year’s accomplishments with a series of high-spirited videos that provided a detailed overview of student, staff and District successes. View the complete State of the District presentation here.
Pioneer High School senior Lucas Lopez has had to endure many challenges in his education. As a member of a military family, he spent years traveling the country, bouncing from school to school; as the brother of family members who have been diagnosed with a rare genetic condition, he has mourned siblings who have passed away at a young age. Through it all, Lopez has found a home at Pioneer High and a family of friends in the Titan band, where he has played trumpet since joining as a freshman. Academically, Lopez has challenged himself with honors and Advanced Placement classes, maintaining a 3.25 GPA, and plans to study music composition and music therapy in college. For overcoming obstacles in his education and serving as a role model for others, Lopez was recognized with an Award of Merit by the Whittier Union Board of Trustees during its Jan. 17 Board meeting.
Whittier Union French Teacher Receives Recognition of Merit
Santa Fe High School students have been saying “Oui, j'aime ça!” (“Yes, I love it!”) in world language teacher Isabelle Teraoka’s French class for more than 15 years, immersing themselves in French culture while channeling the Belgium native’s passion for language, words and sound. For her outstanding leadership and excellence in teaching and service, the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF) Southern California chapter has awarded Teraoka its 2022 Recognition of Merit in French Education. Teraoka received her award at the AATF end-of-year dinner at TAIX restaurant in Los Angeles in December 2022. Teraoka teaches four sections of French, Advanced Placement French and Spanish. She also encourages her students to attend extracurricular events, such as Whittier College’s annual French play and the American French Film Festival in Los Angeles.
