Follow-up Story: Pioneer High School celebrated staff who have served in the armed forces and remembered members of the Titan family who died while serving their country during the school’s annual Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 9. The ceremony featured remarks from school officials and students, performances by the school choir and band, the lighting of the Titan Torch by veterans, and a placing of a wreath at the school’s memorial.
Follow-up Story: Three Whittier Union High School District seniors who have shown resiliency in their academics and commitment to their community are among 24 students in California recognized with the Puente Statewide Academic and Leadership Award. The Puente Project, sponsored by the University of California, is a national award-winning college preparatory program designed to boost the number of underrepresented high school students who enroll in four-year universities, earn degrees and return to the community as leaders. The program is at Whittier, California and La Serna high schools. Scholarship recipients will be announced in spring.
The Whittier Union High School District will celebrate student musical and dance performances at its 2017 Band Jamboree, an annual community event that features the District’s five comprehensive high school marching bands, cheer squads and drill teams. The Band Jamboree – which marks the end of the band and color guard field show season – will begin at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 6 at Sandra Sanchez Thorstenson Stadium at California High School, 9800 Mills Ave., Whittier. Tickets for adults are $8 and $5 for students with ID. Children under age 5 are free.
Follow-up Story: Whittier Union High School District’s culture of collaboration, support and inclusiveness has inspired dozens of alumni to return as teachers and provide new generations of students with the same great experience they received during their journeys through high school. Over the past three years, 21 percent of the District’s certificated hires, or 14 of 65 teachers, have been Whittier Union graduates. Photos are available
Follow-up Story: When Pioneer High School student Alyssa Cayetano’s father was diagnosed with cancer during her sophomore year, the former middle school valedictorian and math enthusiast struggled to find a balance between her studies and support for her father, who passed away last year. Now a senior, Cayetano’s resolve in the wake of personal loss has helped shape her dreams for the future, looking to a career as a pharmaceutical chemist developing treatments aimed at curing cancer. Cayetano, who will study chemistry at UC San Diego, was presented with an Award of Merit by the Whittier Union Board of Trustees on Oct. 10. Photos are available
After scoring a perfect 1520 score on his PSAT, La Serna High School senior Kyle Lien has been named one of 16,000 National Merit Scholarship semifinalists for 2018, placing him in an elite group of students who constitute less than 1 percent of seniors in the nation who received the highest scores in their state. National Merit Scholarship participants are selected based on how they score on their Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) scores, generally taken in junior year. Of the 1.6 million students who took the exam for a chance to win the prestigious $2,500 scholarship, 34,000 top scorers received a commendation and 16,000 were selected as semifinalists.
Pioneer High School will host homecoming festivities at 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29 at Torres Memorial Stadium, 10800 Benavon St., Whittier. Themed “Fabulous Las Vegas,” the event will include a tailgate and concert featuring DJ Charles Boogie, an Elvis tribute artist, a balloon artist, food booths sponsored by Pioneer pepsters, a dessert table and a jumper. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. A queen will be crowned at halftime, which includes a firework show.
As the son of immigrants, Christian Israelian never had far to look for inspiration and strength; he learned early the virtues of hard work and giving back to his community. This month, his academic excellence and dedication as a student leader earned him an Award of Merit from the Whittier Union High School District Board of Trustees. Israelian serves as a tutor and helps freshmen navigate their new campus. He is poised to graduate with 300 credits under his belt, well beyond the 220 required to earn a high school diploma.
Follow-up Story: Monrovia High School on Sept. 12 hosted its annual college fair, featuring more than 60 colleges, military service branches and test prep organizations. Monrovia High junior Imani Martin’s track performances have already caught the attention of University of Oregon coaches, but her ambitions for a career in sports medicine or as a business entrepreneur inspired her to explore financial aid packages offered by the participating college fair universities. Photos are available
Follow-up Story: William C. Gordon may have graduated from Whittier High School more than 60 years ago, but the philanthropist, attorney and author has never forgotten the school that provided him refuge as a teen nor his commitment to upholding what it means to be a Cardinal. Gordon returned on Sept. 8 to his alma mater to provide more than 800 students the inspiration to overcome obstacles, succeed and give back to the community. Gordon has donated dozens of books and more than $230,000 to the school to fund technology upgrades, campus murals and renovate the library. The facility was dedicated the William C. Gordon Library in 2015.
