LEUSD Students Rock!

Seven high school seniors from the Lake Elsinore Unified School District have been honored as Student of the Month award winners, under the auspices of the Lake Elsinore Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Lake Elsinore Sizzler Restaurant.

Students are individually selected by teachers and school staff for their character, love of learning, leadership, community service, and their ability to persevere through challenging circumstances.

December ‘Student of the Month’ Honorees:

LAKESIDE HIGH SCHOOL

Christian Memije ultimately wants to be an astronaut. With a 4.3 GPA, Christian has the right stuff to build a career in either astronomical engineering, or astronomy. He has applied to both UC Davis and Cal Poly Obispo. A childhood without a father as a role model is the main obstacle he has had to overcome. His AVID teachers and peers applaud his integrity and self-respect, calling him soft-spoken, but a powerhouse. School life includes NHS, AVID, Planet Youth, and Keystone.

Ashley Walker has a 4.3 GPA, and plans to attend UC Berkeley. Her field of study will be Agricultural Business. School activities include playing basketball all four years, Interact Club, and community projects. Ashley is from a family of dreamers: her biggest obstacle has been self-doubt. For a dreamer, nothing could be more defeating. Her teachers describe Ashley as highly expressive, radiant, thoughtful, and unafraid to just be herself. Her smile says it all.

ELSINORE HIGH SCHOOL

Lucio Garcia Armenta is a regular at EHS’s Homework club, where he peer tutors four days a week. Teachers applaud Lucio for his interest in helping other students to succeed. He wants to study mechanical or electrical engineering, and has applied to UC Irvine, UCSD, and UCLA, among others. One of his earliest challenges was trying to learn English when he first started school. His positive attitude has helped him succeed academically, so tutoring others is his way of paying forward his own success.Lake Elsinore SOM Article_Dec2011-2 Page 2 of 3

Lina Lopez has the second highest GPA at EHS. The field of nanotechnology interests her because, as she says, it is where engineering and chemistry mesh together. She has applied to UCSD, UC Riverside, and Cal Poly Pomona, where she plans to study chemical engineering. School life includes NHS, CSF, College Club, and being a science and calculus tutor. She is also a co-founder of Homework Club, which she energetically jump started and promoted after less than two weeks.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ONLINE ACADEMY

Maria Luca is an ‘A’ student today, but school started out hard for her when, nine years ago, her family left Romania to come to the USA. She knows firsthand what it’s like to be a student who can’t speak a word of English. After nine years, she has learned to believe in her full potential. This year, she will be one of the first graduates of LEUSD’s new Southern California Online Academy.

TEMESCAL CANYON HIGH SCHOOL

Trysten Dorvall admits to being inspired by his little sister to exceed academically. Teachers praise his intellectual curiosity and ability to handle new challenges. Today, he is an outstanding student athlete in both Football and Track. He has applied to SDSU, San Marcos, Long Beach, and Fresno State. He inspires teammates and fellow students to never give up, because hard work does pay off every time.

Louise Dequilla is ranked among the best junior tennis players in the country. Her goal is to attend Stanford to study communications, though other options could also be game changers. Originally from the Philippines, she quickly learned to appreciate the advantages her parents have worked hard to provide. Campus life includes ASB, NHS, CSF, Titan newspaper editor, and being a charter member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. –Mark Dennis, Lake Elsinore Unified School District