Pictured are the students of the month for March: front row – Patricia Lansang, Paloma Valley High School; Juan Vasquez, Jr., Perris High School; …
Pictured are the students of the month for March: front row – Patricia Lansang, Paloma Valley High School; Juan Vasquez, Jr., Perris High School; Ann Okafor of Heritage High School; and Chioma Amadi, California Military Institute. Back row – councilor Marisela Nava, Perris City Council; Pete Serbantes, Riverside County Office of Education; Valerie Enciso, County Supervisor Jeff Hewitt; Councilman Bob Karwin, of the City of Menifee; Grant Bennett, Superintendent of the Perris Union High School District; and Alejandra Herrera, Riverside County Office of Education. The Perris Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce recently honored area high school students of the month for March.
Students are nominated by their faculty and staff at their respective schools and are chosen for their character, integrity, love of learning, ability to persevere and overcome difficult circumstances, community service and how they make a difference on the school campus secondary school
March students and their families attended a breakfast sponsored by the Perris and Menifee Chambers of Commerce along with local businesses and organizations. Principals and teachers from each high school shared stories about the students and each received certificates of recognition, numerous gifts, congratulations and encouragement from local, county, state and federal dignitaries.
Patricia Lansang of Paloma Valley High School is the Student of the Month for March. Patricia currently has a GPA of over 4.51. She has taken numerous AP and Honors courses and has never gotten anything lower than an A. Patricia shared that she has been greatly influenced by her mother, who was both an immigrant and a single mother. His mother has taught him to appreciate the little things in life and to have courage to go through difficult times.
Patricia hopes to give back to the community in the same way her mother has given to her and her siblings. He would like to help other families in similar situations find accessible and affordable housing. Patricia shared that she has been accepted to several universities and is awaiting a response from UC. You can begin your post-secondary education at a community college to earn prerequisites, then continue on to a four-year university to major in accounting and finance.
Heritage High School’s Student of the Month is Ann Okafor. Ann is someone who describes herself as poised, graceful, intelligent, and a leader. Being new to Heritage, Ann joined ASB as a freshman so she could meet new people and grow as a person. Ann shared that through this experience, she has learned resilience, growth and empathy towards other people. ASB has also taught her to be a leader and mentor to others.
One lesson Ann will take with her to college is to be resilient and be optimistic. “It’s good to see the little things in life and be thankful for everything you have,” she said. “Don’t try to compare yourself to other people because your own story is different.”
Ann has been accepted to several universities to include UC Santa Barbara and UC Merced. He will continue his education specializing in biomedical sciences to enter the medical field.
Perris High School’s Student of the Month is Juan Vasquez, Jr. When Juan started high school, he didn’t know what he wanted to do or what programs he wanted to branch into. She admitted that she had social anxiety issues early on and had a desire to overcome those issues. With a strong support system both at home and at school, he joined JROTC and has risen from a young cadet to a battalion commander, as well as a respected leader among his peers. In addition, Juan is part of the National Honor Society and the FFA. Juan has always had a desire to encourage others and help them achieve their goals.
He has been very important in this effort with his positions in various school organizations. His Army instructor, Sgt. Johnny Bryson said it best when he shared that leadership is influencing others to accomplish a mission and that Juan has already mastered it at his age. Juan plans to attend UC Irvine to major in computer science and become a computer technician.
Chioma Amadi is the California Military Institute Student of the Month. Chioma is the Staff Sergeant at CMI and currently has a 4.2 GPA. He works with other young cadets and helps them become future leaders. She is curious and has a thirst for knowledge, according to her English teacher, Karen Barrett.
“He’s the type of student who gets a 97 A+ and comes after class to ask what he can do to get a better grade; she really pushes,” he said.
Ms Barrett also added that Chioma has an insatiable desire to learn. He is a great example of commitment to education, as well as being a true personification of good character. Chioma shared that one of the main lessons she has learned is that opportunities don’t come in silver. They must be actively sought and obtained. Chioma has applied to numerous universities including: Johns Hopkins and Duke. She plans to major in cognitive science to become a pediatric psychiatrist.
For more information about the Student of the Month program, contact founder Sally Myers at 951-506-8024.
