Whittier Union High School District students will ring in the holidays, singing traditional songs and holiday favorites as part of the annual Choral Festival at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11 at Whittier College Memorial Chapel, 13406 Philadelphia St., Whittier. Choral groups from California, La Serna, Santa Fe and Whittier high schools will receive evaluations from this year’s adjudicator, Joseph Modica, interim associate dean of the University of Redlands College of Arts and Sciences and director of the School of Music.
By the time California High senior Denisse Palominos arrives to campus for zero period at 7:20 a.m., she has already prepared her three younger siblings for school while her mother departs for work in Downtown Los Angeles at 6 a.m. For Palominos – who maintains a 4.1 GPA and is captain the Cal High volleyball team – taking responsibility for the care of others while balancing a full schedule of classes and extracurricular activities comes naturally, earning her respect from classmates, teachers and administrators alike for her cheerful demeanor and leadership skills.
Whittier Union Senior, Future Businesswoman Recognized for Leadership
By the time California High School senior Denisse Palominos arrives at campus for zero period at 7:20 a.m., she has already prepared her three younger siblings for school. For Palominos – who maintains a 4.1 GPA and is captain the Cal High volleyball team – taking responsibility for others while balancing a full schedule of classes and extracurricular activities comes naturally, earning her respect from classmates, teachers and administrators alike. She was recognized with an Award of Merit by the Whittier Union Board of Trustees on Nov. 12.
Credit Union Endows Whittier Union Program with $50,000
The Credit Union of Southern California, a longtime supporter of La Serna High School’s life-changing intervention program, OASIS, has launched a $50,000 endowment to ensure students in the program find enduring success after graduation. CEO Dave Gunderson and Executive Vice President Eric Day have provided thousands of dollars in scholarships over the years to students in La Serna’s Organized Academic Support in School (OASIS) program, which motivates students who are underperforming to earn higher GPAs and graduate high school. They will regularly contribute to the endowment, with the funds going toward scholarships as well as tools to ensure OASIS students have the support necessary for successful futures.
California High School freshman and girls golf team member Sophia Martinez was honored by the Women’s Sports Foundation for her essay, “What Inspires Me to Keep Playing,” during the foundation’s 40th Annual Salute to Women in Sports gala, held Oct. 16 in New York City. Martinez, a member of the Southern California Golf Association junior program, was one of three winners of the WSF national essay contest, allowing her the chance to meet some of America’s elite female athletes, including Women’s World Cup star Megan Rapinoe and WSF founder and tennis star Billie Jean King.
Close to 300 La Serna High School students were given the freedom to make their own financial decisions – and learn the unpleasant consequences of spending beyond their means – during Bite of Reality, an interactive simulation that tests students on real-world financial challenges. Sponsored by the Credit Union of Southern California, the financial literacy event, held Nov. 14, assigned students in the school’s Guided Studies, OASIS, HAVEN and Read 180 academic intervention programs, their mentors and consumer math students a fictional occupation, salary, spouse and family, student loan debt, credit card debt and medical insurance payments.
The Credit Union of Southern California, a longtime supporter of La Serna High School’s award-winning and life-changing intervention program, OASIS, has launched a $50,000 endowment to ensure students in the program find enduring success after graduation. CEO Dave Gunderson and Executive Vice President Eric Day have provided thousands of dollars in scholarships over the years to students in La Serna’s Organized Academic Support in School (OASIS) program, which motivates students who are underperforming to earn higher GPAs and graduate high school. They will regularly contribute to the endowment, with the funds going toward scholarships as well as other methods of support to ensure OASIS students have the support necessary for successful futures.
Whittier Union will celebrate student musical and dance performances at its 2019 Whittier Union High School District Band, Color Guard and Pepster Jamboree, an annual community event that features the District’s five comprehensive high school marching bands, color guards, cheer squads, song and drill team. The showcase marks the ending of the band and color guard field show season. It will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4 at the Sandra Sanchez Thorstenson Stadium at California High School, 9800 Mills Ave., Whittier.
Five Whittier Union High School District students have been recognized as National Merit Commended Scholars for being among the top 34,000 students in the nation to receive high scores on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). The nationally recognized students are seniors Cole Aedo, Ian Brennan, Kelvin Chong and Katelyn Nye from La Serna High School and senior Julia Casas from Whittier High School.
The Whittier Union Adult School hosted its first-ever Career and Job Fair on Oct. 23, attracting over 500 community members and students from the Adult School, Frontier High School and Sierra Vista High School. The event featured nearly two dozen local employers, including Whittier Union High School District, the Census Bureau, Starbucks, Fed Ex and Defense International, among others, who conducted on-site interviews. Many employers have committed to hiring Whittier Union students. The Census Bureau, for instance, plans to hire 80 students at $20 an hour. Fifteen students were hired on the spot and 50 students scored second interviews.
