Superstars Shine Bright In The LEUSD

In recent weeks, several Lake Elsinore Unified School District students have been recognized for their achievements academically, on the playing field and in the community.

There are so many deserving kids, but here’s a quick shout out to just some of the young bright lights across the district:

• Temescal Canyon High School senior and Canyon Lake resident Bret Paddock was honored by the LEUSD governing board on March 8 for his achievement as the Canyon Lake Chamber of Commerce 2011 Youth of the Year. As a talented musician, Bret plays string bass and piano, and has helped build the theater arts program at TCHS, assembling a pit orchestra from scratch. He plans on attending the University of Redlands to study Audiology.

• sixth-grader Derek Vu and seventh-grader Justin Viveros of Elsinore Middle School were honored during the March 8 LEUSD governing board meeting for their achievements during the district’s Gordon Kiefer Memorial Spelling Bee at the Rotary Theater in January.

• Lucas Meinke, a senior at Elsinore High School, recently made Eagle Scout. He was honored by the LEUSD governing board on March 8 and the City of Lake Elsinore on Feb. 28.

• On March 8, Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District's Board of Directors recognized eight students for their work on water-focused projects submitted to the 2012 Lake Elsinore Unified School District's Science Fair. Students who received prizes from EVMWD, not only had to have an exemplary project, but needed to meet the criteria of having a strong water component to their projects. This year, four students from the elementary level and four from the middle school level were chosen:

Tory Johnson, who continued her ocean water bacteria project from last year, comparing ocean water from California and Hawaii, took home the Grand Prize for the elementary level. Tory is a fifth grader at Luiseno School.

Zane Tamayo, of Railroad Canyon Elementary, tested buoyance theories in fresh, tap and salt water, received a first place ribbon in the elementary level. Zane showed expertise beyond his years, as he was the only third grader to compete at the District level.

In the middle school level, three of the top water-focused winners were from Elsinore Middle School. Aimee Ramirez, Donald Latham and Sarah Aubuchon all took home honors for their work. Highlights of their work included testing aquatic plant growth with the addition of live fish, erosion prevention, and testing electrolyte counts in water and other beverages.

Other winners of the Water District awards included Caden Bensley of Cottonwood Canyon Elementary, Connor DeCocq of Luiseno, and Thomas Peterson of Rice Canyon Elementary.

• Seven high school seniors from the Lake Elsinore Unified School District were recently honored by the Student of the Month program, 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.

The March “Student of the Month” honorees are:

ELSINORE HIGH SCHOOL

Aaron Magpayo is a Valedictorian and honors student. He has been accepted at UC Riverside and will major in Chemical Engineering. Aaron has been active in the Rotary Interact Club and AVID. His biggest lesson from school is to never procrastinate. Special interests include math, origami, music, and working out. Teachers praise Aaron’s ability to reach out to others as a conscious role model to all students.

Sara Burt is a Valedictorian and student athlete with a heart ‘as big as the Grand Canyon’, according to her principal. Sara’s goal is to become a Psychiatrist. She plans to attend UCLA, with a major in Psychobiology. She is one of three captains on her tennis team. Volunteering with the oncology corps at a local hospital has provided life lessons about courage, compassion, and service. Being a child who couldn’t speak English when she started school in the US didn’t hold her back, as proven by her success.

LAKESIDE HIGH SCHOOL

Armani Bains is Lakeside High’s first CIF individual wrestling champion, and the only wrestler in League to make it to state competition this year. His career pursuits include Kinesiology and nutrition for athletes. A varsity captain for two years, Armani is recognized for working hard and having a positive attitude. Though a newcomer to LHS two years ago, he fully defines LHS’s school culture and is viewed by his peers as a role model. March 2012 Student of the Month,

Shawnie Gerstenberg plans to attend either UCSB or UCSD as a Humanities major, with minors in English and History. School activities include Calculus, NHS, serving as a Boys and Girls Clubs Keystone volunteer, and Rotary Interact. Her mother passed away at an early age, but being raised in a single parent household has taught Shawnie to value family and lasting friendships as much as cultivating her own independence.

TEMESCAL CANYON HIGH SCHOOL

Kjell Hiniker is a swim team and water polo athlete, an anchor for the school’s Titan TV, with dreams of an appointment to the USAF Academy. He is also eligible for a scholarship to attend UCSD. His life philosophy is to apply lessons learned in school to a world stage where anyone can make a difference by having a positive impact on society. Teachers value his accomplishments and wit, while peers view him as a winner in every sense of the word, with modesty to spare.

Alyssa Casey, a Canyon Lake resident, plans to attend Dixie State in Utah to study Business Administration. Her goal is to become an events planner, a role she relishes now on ASB. Her advice to fellow students: be yourself, it’s the best thing you can be. According to her advisors, Alyssa is great mentor because she feels it’s equally important to tend to others’ success as well as her own.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ONLINE ACADEMY

Autumn Thompson is independently driven and will graduate early, while pursuing her goal of becoming a Clinical Psychologist, with emphasis in marriage and family psychology. Her university plans include starting at MSJC and transferring to UC Irvine. She has been a student representative to LEUSD’s Governing Board, and a student spokesman for the Southern California Online Academy. Autumn is an excellent writer and an avid reader, while being active on the SCOA site council, PTSA, and Guitar Club.

KEITH MCCARTHY ACADEMY

David OCampo. Note: Due to illness, Mr. OCampo, a February honoree, was recognized in absentia.

• There have also been some big CIF wins for the LEUSD in recent weeks. , , and are among the CIF champs!

Congrats to all the superstars!