When Pioneer High School senior Anthony Hernandez arrived on campus as a freshman, he was an English Learner with a passion for playing soccer and a talent for motivating his teammates – an intangible skill that led Hernandez to be named captain of Pioneer’s varsity soccer team as a sophomore, a position he has held for three years. Hernandez is one step closer to fulfilling his dream to play soccer in college after being named a 2024 Michael and Susan Dell Foundation scholar, one of just 500 students nationwide to receive the prestigious honor. The scholarship includes $20,000 in tuition support, a laptop and textbook credits, as well as exclusive access to Dell scholar services, including counseling, mentorship, and networking.
California High School’s acclaimed Chamber Choir offers a safe space for its singers, with the inclusive environment in Cal High Choir Director Dan Hawkins’ classroom encouraging students to showcase their talents without prejudice and find their voice as performers who are prepared to take their vocal gifts to the next level. This year, four Cal High Chamber Choir members have been recognized for their excellence by being named to prestigious regional honor choirs. Seniors Roxie Navarro and Larissa Ortega and junior Allison Orellana-Mejia were selected to the Western American Choral Directors Association’s (WACDA) High School Honor Choir. The three singers performed together at the 2024 WACDA Pasadena Conference Honor Choir concert, held March 9. Ortega was also selected, along with sophomore David Gutierrez, for the Southern California Vocal Association (SCVA) Honor Choir, with both students performing at the SCVA Honor Choir concert at Redlands University in November 2023.
Whittier High School senior Fabiola Ramirez stands as a testament to resilience, facing and conquering challenges that few encounter in a lifetime. From the moment she was born with severe hearing loss in both ears and labeled medically hard of hearing, Ramirez has defied stereotypes and refused to let her unique journey be defined by her hearing loss. Ramirez, a lifelong Whittier resident, has worn hearing aids since childhood, enduring the isolating experience of being the only student in her class with such devices. Amid instances of bullying, she transferred elementary schools twice. However, her journey took a positive turn when she enrolled at Katherine Edwards Middle School, where she began to find her stride. For her ability to overcome challenges and excel in her academic and personal pursuits, Ramirez was recognized with an Award of Merit by the Whittier Union Board of Trustees during a March 12 meeting.
Frontier High School has been named one of California's 2024 Model Continuation High Schools by the California Department of Education (CDE), highlighting the school for excelling in providing innovative programs addressing the academic and socioemotional needs of its students. Frontier High’s academic program offers students instruction designed to match their needs, learning style, and skill level. The school’s smaller class sizes and individualized learning experiences allow students to make up missing credits. The school also offers robust support for social-emotional and student well-being, a diverse range of extracurricular activities, and the chance for students to concurrently complete college courses. Frontier was one of 31 schools recognized by the CDE for their exceptional commitment to providing comprehensive services to at-promise youth.
Longtime Whittier resident Yoshio Nakamura discovered his love of art while stationed in Italy as a member of the legendary 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War II. Immersing himself in the works of Michelangelo, Da Vinci, and Raphael, Nakamura began to lay the foundation for a lifelong career as an artist and teacher – a career that got its start when Nakamura was hired as a teacher at Whittier High School in 1952. Acknowledging Nakamura’s contributions as a teacher and his commitment to art education, the Whittier Union Board of Trustees voted unanimously on March 12 to dedicate the Whittier High School Fine Arts building in his honor. This honor celebrates the man who shook off the adversity of being interned with his family in WWII to become a highly decorated war hero and beloved teacher and administrator at Whittier High and, later, as Río Hondo College’s first art professor.
Santa Fe High School seniors Zulema Gamboa and Nevaeh Esteves-Parker have much in common. Friends since middle school, they have both become top scholars at Santa Fe High and aspire to pursue their higher education in locations where their learning experiences will be embellished by seasonal weather and traditions not common in Southern California. Gamboa and Esteves-Parker, who share identical 4.3 GPAs, will soon start packing their bags to travel to prestigious colleges across the country after being named 2024 Posse Foundation scholars, earning full-ride scholarships to attend Hobart and William Smith Colleges in upstate New York and Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, respectively.
Whittier Union CTE Fair Prepares Students for Post-Secondary Options
Whittier High School students explored career technical education (CTE) classes and post-secondary pathway options during the school’s annual CTE Fair, held Feb. 22 in celebration of Career Technical Education Month. Cardinal students spoke with CTE representatives from a host of local colleges, trade schools and recruiters including Fullerton College, Cerritos College, Whittier College, Los Angeles Trade Tech, Downey Adult School, America’s Job Center California, and Tri-Cities ROP. The lunchtime event aimed to introduce students to pathway programs available on campus, as well as the opportunity to connect to post-secondary programs that align with Whittier High curriculum, so that students can continue to pursue CTE pathways after graduation.
When La Serna High School senior Marcos Barajas launched his streetwear clothing line as a junior, he never dreamed he would come to school and see his classmates wearing his latest designs and showing off his brand to their friends. The recognition Barajas has received for his creations shows how far he has come since a challenging freshman year. After recording a 0.4 GPA in ninth grade, Barajas was placed in the school’s award-winning OASIS Studies program, where he was assigned a peer academic mentor. Now on track to graduate, Barajas has a 3.0 GPA, was a recipient of La Serna’s “Be Your Best” award and is committed to working with struggling underclassmen as a Haven academic mentor. For his hard work and dedication to overcoming adversity, Barajas was presented with an Award of Merit by the Whittier Union Board of Trustees during a meeting on Feb. 13.
Whittier Union Students Learn Importance of Diplomacy in Global Affairs
California High School’s Model United Nations (Condor MUN) program is giving students a real-world perspective on global issues and allowing them the opportunity to learn the importance of diplomacy by serving as delegates, role-playing and writing position papers on a diverse array of topics such as maritime piracy and mental health in humanitarian crises. Available as an afterschool extracurricular since 2007, Condor MUN has increased its profile among southern California MUN programs, with Cal High adding an AP Comparative Government class compatible with MUN research areas and boosting its MUN club membership enough so that Cal High could host its first Condor MUN conference in December 2023.
Pioneer High School is deepening its college-ready culture through the expansion of its Early College Academy and partnership with Río Hondo College, which will now include an opportunity for new students to earn an associate degree or a certificate of achievement in Spanish, beginning in the 2024-25 school year. The expanded program is geared towards incoming freshmen who are strongly motivated academically, ready to commit to taking rigorous college-level classes and follow the course of study for all four years of the program. The Early College Academy Associates Degree Pathway (ECA-ADP) program is available only to Pioneer High students. There is no cost for students who are accepted into the program, with tuition, books and fees all covered. All courses are taught by Río Hondo College professors after school on the Pioneer High campus. All credits earned through ECA-ADP will be transferable to any public college or university in California.
