The Hemet/San Jacinto Student of the Month program held its most recent recognition breakfast at the Maze Stone at Soboba Springs Golf Course on Dec. 19. Six local high school seniors were recognized and honored for their character, love of learning and commitment to academics in addition to their involvement in school and community activities and their ability and resiliency in overcoming difficult life challenges. And they do this all in a setting that honors God, country, family, community and free enterprise. Students are nominated by teachers or other school personnel for making a difference in their homes, schools and communities.
Local program founder and Student of the Month Committee member Karena Zermeno, who also represents one of the sponsors Altura Credit Union, emceed the event. Each student was invited to the podium to share their personal story, past and/or current challenges and future goals with a room full of supporters that included principals, teachers, peers and family members, as well as community and school district dignitaries.
December’s students of the month from Hemet Unified School District are Genesis Andrade, Davia Bean, Tristan Beatty, Savannah Mendoza and Landon Perez. San Jacinto Unified’s honoree for December is Sunnie Sanchez.
Hemet Unified School District
Genesis Andrade
Hamilton High School Principal Kari Sanchez said Genesis is forever giving of her time, her intellect and her courageous personality and that brings others together through ASB on an ongoing basis at the 6-12 campus. Nominating teacher Rio Clawson said Genesis always tries to bring people together for a common purpose – fun. “I’m your biggest fan and cheerleader other than God and your mom,” she told the outstanding senior. Genesis, a varsity athlete and honor roll scholar, feels her greatest contribution to her community is her commitment to teamwork. “I enjoy being part of my school and believe in leading by example,” she said. A few years ago, she and her family moved to Mexico to rescue women and children from sex trafficking as part of their missionary work. Genesis said this gave her a firsthand perspective of some of the awful things occurring in today’s world. “Imprinting me with the acknowledgement of the privilege I have,” she said. “Taking this positive attitude with me into college, I intend to continue to have gratitude for anything I put my mind to. I will always try my best to help others who can’t help themselves.” Gensis plans to practice law after college.
Davia Bean
Tahquitz High School Principal Andrew Holmes, said, “Davia is a student that symbolizes what it means to have Titan Pride. She is a dedicated scholar who enjoys being in her English class and actively participates. She likes to write and enjoys telling stories.” She is a member of the Debate Club, Yearbook and AVID. Her nominating social studies teacher David Nichols said, “She is a leader among her peers. She knows who she is, but she doesn’t let that get in the way if she doesn’t have all the answers.” Davia said change is the hardest part of growing up. “For me, everything changed when my eldest sister passed away. It was like time had stopped and the world became cold. Losing her wasn’t just losing a sister, it was watching my mother break. I had never seen my mom cry before. I told my mom not to worry because she was always here, we just couldn’t see her and now that I’m growing up, I look for her in everything that I do.” Davis hopes to attend either Cal Baptist University or San Francisco State to prepare for a career as an educator.
Tristan Beatty
Hemet High School Principal Jeff Franks introduced Tristan as extremely talented, gifted and athletic. “He also plays the guitar and bass and he’s one of those crazy smart kids that can process extremely fast,” Franks said. Nominating teacher Art Plinski said Tristan is “insanely bright” and always contributes to class discussions. “He has a spirit of academic exploration,” Plinski said. Tristan said everybody in their life goes through struggles and everyone has unique struggles. “But if anything had been different, we wouldn’t be exactly where we are today,” he said. He shared a life-shaping moment he experienced at the age of nine. His biological father explained he was moving to Missouri. “He went on and on about the pros, leaving out all the negatives,” Tristan said. “At the end, he asked me a very back-stabbing question that has pained me every time I think about it: ‘so are you okay with all this?’” He has not had any contact with his father since. “While I’m not thankful for the hurt that caused, I am thankful for the fire that it lit inside me,” Tristan said. “I want to one day become the father to my children that I never was able to have in my life and give them the opportunities that my father could not give me.” He plans to attend UC, Santa Barbara to major in neuroscience. “I’d like to eventually become a psychiatrist as I am passionate about helping others through the struggles that we face and the challenges that we experience.”
Savannah Mendoza
West Valley High School selected Savannah this month and Principal Gerardo Zavala said, “She is not only an excellent student but also a great leader, role model and advocate for our campus community. Savannah is a student who always gives back to her school.” Savannah is president of Latinos Unidos, serves as School Site Council chairperson, is part of speech and debate, marching band, Folklorico and the recycling club. “Her leadership and involvement are truly inspiring,” Zavala said. English teacher Nathan San Filippo, who nominated her, shared some words from Savannah’s essay at the end of last year’s class. The subject was about the value of writing in today’s modern society while referring to past readings the class had shared throughout the year. She wrote, “While new forms of communications have their advantages, they can never replace the depth, permanence and focus that writing provides. As long as we have thoughts and emotions to share, the written word will continue to be a vital tool for human connection and self-discovery.” Savannah shared that a challenge she faced when she was younger was living in poverty. “My father was a druggie and a wannabe gangster,” she said. “He focused more on finding his next high than really caring for his children. My mom worked two and three jobs just to provide for my brother and I.” Savannah aspires to be a military psychologist and has already been accepted at several California State Universities.
Landon Perez
Academy of Innovation serves students in K-12 through its independent study program. Principal John Bradshaw said he is impressed with students such as Landon who are able to forge deep relationships while only being on campus twice a week. Landon said last year he had to face the obstacle of adapting to the return of in-person school after four years of an all-online learning environment. He has contributed to his school and community through volunteer work with The Salvation Army’s Food Pantry and Angel Tree programs. “These activities have helped me understand the challenges faced by others and appreciate the importance of giving back,” Landon said. “The most important life lesson I have learned to prepare me for college is the critical role of time management.” His goal is to attend Stanford University where he plans to study political science or criminal justice. “These fields align with my passion of advocating for others as a lawyer,” Landon said.
San Jacinto Unified School District
Sunnie Sanchez
Mountain View High School selected Sunnie as this month’s honoree. He is involved with ASB and is a School Site Council representative. The senior shared that during his middle school years he was very active, playing basketball and football every day with friends, and that provided him with a great cardio workout. It also allowed him to indulge in sweets and “junk” food without worrying about the downside of doing that. Then COVID hit and Sunnie, who was 5-ft. 9-in. tall and weighed 190 pounds at the time ended up being 5-ft. 11-in. tall and weighing 235 pounds when in-person learning resumed. “I used to hate looking at myself because of my weight,” he said. “One day walking upstairs I got very winded and realized how unhealthy I was. I made a change and started going to the gym every day.” Sunnie continued his regimen until he got his weight back down to 190 pounds. “I want to give a big shoutout to Albert, my first gym partner,” he said. “He was the reason why I liked going to the gym and he taught me everything I know. He helped me make a change in my life.” Sunnie also thanked the staff at Mountain View for providing him with the opportunity to grow as an individual. “In my case, it helped me set goals for myself. I plan to go to college to become a teacher,” he said.
Closing Remarks
Hemet Unified School District Superintendent Christi Barrett addressed all the honorees and thanked them for sharing their stories. “You are all change agents,” she said. San Jacinto Unified School District Superintendent David Pyle said, “I was part of a generation where I think people kept their personal stories more to themselves and I’m so comforted in the fact that our students feel comfortable sharing their stories behind the microphone to a group of strangers. I encourage you to continue to take that with you into your next stage of life.”
For more information, www.studentofthemonth.net.
