Whittier Union Seniors Cap Off Academic Careers with Commencement
Whittier Union High School District’s five comprehensive high schools will cap off their high school careers with commencement ceremonies on Wednesday, June 3. Pioneer High will celebrate its graduation at 6 p.m. in the brand new 7,000-seat Dick Torres Memorial Stadium, 10800 Benavon St. Cal High will hold its graduation at 6:30 p.m. in its school stadium, 9800 S. Mills Ave., Whittier; La Serna High’s graduation will be at 6 p.m. in the La Mirada High School Stadium, 13520 Adelfa Ave., La Mirada; Santa Fe High School will hold its ceremony in the Cerritos College Stadium, 11110 E. Alondra Blvd., Norwalk; and Whittier High will hold its ceremony in the Whittier College stadium, 13847 Earlham Drive.
La Serna High School will hold a special ceremony at 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 27 in the school gym to recognize 24 Whittier Union student-athletes who have signed letters of intent or who have committed to play at a college or university. Each senior will have banners and decorative items representing the local and national universities they will attend, from Cal Baptist University to the University of Southern California. Sports represented include bowling, soccer, cheer, volleyball, soccer, water polo, softball, baseball, football, tennis, track and swim. La Serna is at 15301 Youngwood Drive.
Follow-up Story: La Serna High School student leaders on May 11 challenged more than 550 classmates to “Shatter the Stigma” associated with mental health through the debut of a “Notice, Talk, Act” pilot program, which encourages students to actively support friends who may struggle with mental illness. The presentations were among several activities planned for La Serna’s “Mental Health Awareness Day.” The school also screened a student-produced video encouraging students to use the “Notice, Talk, Act” approach to reach out to friends in need and hosted a presentation outlining the benefits of seeking professional mental health counseling.
Follow-up Story: Thirty California High School Seniors were formally recognized by the Whittier City Council at a meeting held April 28 for their successful completion of the “Whittier Students in Government” (WSIG) Program, a collaborative effort between the City of Whittier and the Whittier Union High School District that offers students who are interested in government with ground-level, hands-on experience working at the municipal level. The Advanced Placement (AP) Government students were given the opportunity to serve in roles that parallel those within existing city government, including mayor, mayor pro-tem, city council members, city manager and administrative staff. Students conducted research over the course of several months and organized proposals.
Whittier High School ASB Students Love Their Lunch Lady
Whittier High School’s food services manager Kathy Tyler won the Southern California School Nutrition Association’s inaugural “I Love My Lunch Lady” competition after Associated Student Body students sang their praises for her in a video they produced spoofing Weird Al Yankovic’s “Girls Just Want to Have Lunch.” The honor brings with it a $1,000 award that will be split between Tyler and Whittier High. The student-produced video is available at www.EatSmart2beSmart.org.
Follow-up Story: Whittier Union High School District unveiled on May 28 its spectacular 7,000-seat Pioneer High School football stadium – among the largest in the San Gabriel Valley – before a crowd of several hundred students and community members. The stadium was dedicated as the Dick Torres Memorial Stadium in honor of the late Richard (Dick) Torres, a former Santa Fe High School teacher and Pioneer’s former Assistant Principal of Business and Activities. The $17.5 million facility – built with proceeds from the Measure W Bond and to be shared with Santa Fe High – features a synthetic football field and track, scoreboard and goal posts.
Whittier High School is hosting its first-ever mud run obstacle course fundraiser as part of a healthy eating, active living initiative started by high school freshman Analaura Amezquita. The Cardinal Survival Mud Run will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 16 at the school, 12417 Philadelphia St, Whittier. Funds raised will go to support school organizations and clubs, including ASB, football, band, cheer, Academic Mentors and more. Students were encouraged to collect pledges from sponsors to participate in the obstacle course, which will include water slides and mud.
All five of the Whittier Union High School District’s comprehensive high schools on May 5 were named California Gold Ribbon Schools – the state’s highest award for academic excellence. Gold Ribbons were awarded to California, La Serna, Pioneer, Santa Fe and Whittier high schools; the latter three received an additional award for being Title I Academic Achieving Schools that demonstrate success in meeting the educational needs of all students. The awards come on the heels of Whittier Union’s alternative school, Frontier High School, being named a Model Continuation School in March.
California High Senior Named Gates Millennium Scholar
California High School senior Ivan Delatorre is one of 1,000 students from across the nation to be named a Gates Millennium Scholar. Delatorre, who holds a 4.3 GPA and is ranked seventh in a class of 720 at the Whittier Union school, was chosen from among tens of thousands of applicants for the Millennium Scholar Program, established in 1999 through a $1.6 billion grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The program helps high-performing students attain their dream of attending four-year universities and colleges through graduate school. Delatorre will use the funds to pursue a degree in accounting at UCLA.
Whittier Union Students Take on City Leadership Roles for Civics Program
Whittier Union High School District has teamed with the City of Whittier to provide students with hands-on experience running a municipality, culminating in a mock city council meeting at Whittier City Hall at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 28. As part of Whittier Students in Government, about 25 to 30 students from California High School serve as student leaders in posts that parallel those in the city government, from Student Mayor to Student City Manager. The event will end with students being recognized at the Whittier City Council meeting at 6:30 p.m. The program is designed to encourage students' civic involvement and incorporate the voice of youth in the democratic process.