The Whittier Union High School District Board of Trustees honored three graduates who were unable to walk during commencement ceremonies, presenting them with their diplomas and gift baskets during a Board meeting on June 14. The graduates recognized during the meeting were California High School Summa Cum Laude graduate Anthony Franco and La Serna High School Magna Cum Laude graduates Anabelle Rocha and Andrew Reyes. During the presentations of diplomas, the Board shared words of gratitude for each graduate and expressed their congratulations for achieving high academic success at Whittier Union. The students were joined by their family, peers and school administrators.
Whittier Union to Celebrate Class of 2022 with Stadium Graduations
Students from the Whittier Union High School District’s five comprehensive high schools, two alternative high schools and adult school will celebrate the conclusion of their academic journeys during stadium commencement ceremonies at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 31, Wednesday, June 1 and Thursday, June 2. Ceremonies will be held at full capacity at the District’s two stadiums: Sandra Sanchez Thorstenson Stadium, 9800 Mills Ave., and Dick Torres Memorial Stadium, 10800 Benavon St. This year, the Whittier Union Board of Trustees will honor a group of students from each comprehensive high school with the 2022 Trustee Award. Honorees were recommended by principals, counselors and teachers for outstanding academic achievement and demonstrating exemplary citizenship during their four years of high school.
Students from the Whittier Union High School District’s five comprehensive high schools, two alternative high schools and adult school will celebrate the conclusion of their academic journeys in the District during stadium commencement ceremonies. Ceremonies will be held at full capacity at the District’s two stadiums. This year, the Whittier Union Board of Trustees will honor a group of students from each comprehensive high school with the 2022 Trustee Award. Honorees were recommended by principals, counselors and teachers for outstanding academic achievement and demonstrating exemplary citizenship during their four years of high school.
The Whittier Union High School District has selected Mary Chapman, Pioneer High School’s current assistant principal of curriculum and instruction, to take the helm as the school’s new principal. Chapman, who has more than 15 years of experience as a teacher and administrator, came to Pioneer in 2016 as the assistant principal of guidance and counseling. Chapman will succeed current Pioneer Principal Lilia Bozigian, who will join Whittier Union’s executive cabinet as assistant superintendent of educational services. Photo
Frontier High School was recognized for its commitment to providing students with a caring and supportive alternative education environment, receiving multiple honors from the California Continuation Education Association Plus (CCEA+) during its Professional Awards Luncheon, held May 7 at the Renaissance Long Beach Hotel. Frontier High Principal Dr. Margie Moriarty was named CCEA+ Administrator of the Year, Frontier High counselor Roberto Tamayo was named CCEA+ 2022 Counselor or Support Person of the Year and Frontier High junior James Martinez was recognized as the CCEA+ Student Essay Contest second-place winner. Frontier High is an eight-time CCEA+ Model Continuation School recipient.
For the fourth year in a row, the College Board has recognized Whittier High School for expanding young women’s access to Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science classes, bestowing the school with its 2021 AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award. Whittier High received the award for fostering equal gender representation in AP Computer Science Principles during the 2020-21 school year and is among 1,200 high schools across the United States honored by the College Board. The recognition reflects the increased interest in STEM classes among all Whittier High students, particularly incoming freshmen, led by strong recruiting efforts by teachers and counselors at Whittier Union’s partner elementary and middle schools.
Whittier Union High School District’s Puente Program students celebrated the birthday and legacy of Cesar Chavez by creating community service and awareness art projects, studying activism and learning about the fight for justice from Paul Chavez, son of Cesar Chavez, who joined students for a keynote presentation during an awards ceremony on April 21. The awards ceremony served as the culmination event to celebrate Puente students and their service projects. Paul, who is president of the Cesar Chavez Foundation, shared his experience of growing up within the Farmworkers’ Movement founded by his father, and told stories of how the foundation has helped transform communities from rural to urban areas.
Whittier High School senior and math enthusiast Joaquin Perkins is a retired National Chess Master, a title he received in 2018 after years of hard work and multiple national champion titles – the first of which he earned at age six. Perkins is also a high-achieving scholar with a 4.3 GPA and will graduate with a total of 389 credits – far exceeding the required 220 credits. For his academic excellence, passion and determination, Perkins received an Award of Merit from the Whittier Union Board of Trustees during its April 12 Board meeting. In the fall, Joaquin will attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he will continue his remarkable academic journey as he majors in mathematics with an emphasis in number theory.
Whittier Union High School District has named Frontier High School social studies teacher Mary Ann Fajardo as its 2022-23 teacher of the year, honoring the instructor who is beloved and respected by students and peers for her humility, love of learning and willingness to share her knowledge and research. Fajardo has proven to be an indispensable member of the Frontier High faculty, promoting diversity and inclusion in her curriculum and engaging her students with rich experiences. Fajardo, who teaches U.S. and World History, Career Studies and Chicano Studies, is part of the Whittier Union team that developed the District’s Ethnic Studies curriculum. She is in her ninth year at Frontier High.
Students from Santa Fe High School witnessed the real-life consequences of driving under the influence during the school’s “Every 15 Minutes” program, which featured a simulated car crash that claimed the lives of their peers, an overnight retreat, and a mock funeral. The event, held April 6-7, included a pre-recorded 9-1-1 call that triggered an emergency response by local law enforcement agencies, firefighters and paramedics. “Every 15 Minutes” is a national campaign which focuses on high school junior and seniors, with a goal of challenging students to consider the dangers of drunk driving. The two-day program was held in partnership with the City of Santa Fe Springs; participants included the Whittier Police Department, Santa Fe Springs Fire Rescue, Mercy Air and the California Highway Patrol.
