Riverside County school superintendent announces 1st 2023 Educators of the Year

By Staff

Aschool counselor focused on providing STEM opportunities to underrepresented students at Riverside County’s largest high school, and an administrator who ensures that students and families remain connected with school despite challenging circumstances, were surprised Tuesday with the news that they had been named the county’s first 2023 Educators of the Year by Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Edwin Gomez. Both honorees are employees of the CoronaNorco Unified School District.

Gomez plans to make five additional surprise visits throughout February. All honorees, including will be recognized at the 2023 Celebrating Educators Luncheon scheduled for May 2 at the Riverside Convention Center.

“Our first two 2023 Riverside County Educators of the Year are great examples of dedicated educators who recognize that connecting with students and families is the most powerful way to ensure that all students are successful in our educational system,” Gomez said in a statement. “Students who are in search of a caring adult on campus, and parents who are in need of additional support to ensure their students’ success, are the focus of these first two educators of the year, and I’m proud to recognize them for their outstanding example of servant leadership.”

School Counselor of the Year

Hilda Jauregui-Castanon has been a school counselor for 15 years — including eight years at Riverside County’s largest school, Eleanor Roosevelt High School in the Corona-Norco Unified School District.

Jauregui-Castanon holds several leadership positions, such as developing the Puente Program that assists underrepresented students become high school graduates and college-eligible, according to the Riverside County Office of Education. Upon graduation, Puente Program team members help the program’s students through the college application process. JaureguiCastanon’s use of data to establish a student-centered focus is the foundation upon which she strives to be the adult on campus that students can trust to be “seen.”

“I try to do everything with students in mind, and to make sure everyone on my team is focused on the support of students,” said Jauregui-Castanon, amid a classroom full of students and supporters, moments after being surprised with the news that she is the county’s School Counselor of the Year. “I didn’t know what was happening with all these people here, but I am truly honored and humbled by this award.”

Gomez said, “This year, Hilda’s goals were about catching students early on, to find out what they need, and to be there for them until they feel like they’ve got it. She is not only helping students with their GPA, but with their social-emotional health as well.”

Certificated Administrator of the Year

Cassandra Willis leads the Parent Center for Corona-Norco USD. The center connects parents and families with resources and opportunities aimed at helping students to thrive as they face challenges in school or in life, according to the Office of Education. By listening intently and instilling hope, Willis and her team make use of data and innovative thinking to provide customized approaches to keeping students on track to graduate.

Now entering her 30th year of education, Willis believes that effective leadership is based on capturing the hearts of those she is blessed to lead, and building positive relationships every day, according to the Office of Education.

“I had no idea, and am overwhelmed by all of this,” said Willis as she entered a large training room filled with colleagues, administrators as well as her daughter, to receive the news that she is the Certificated Admin-

See 1st 2023 Educators Page 23

Brush fire erupts along Santa Ana River bottom in Jurupa Valley Victim’s family testifies in penalty phase of Palm Springs quadruple homicide

By City News Service

Afire that broke out Thursday along the Santa Ana River bottom in Jurupa Valley scorched nearly an acre of heavy brush before crews got it under control.

The non-injury blaze was reported at 1 p.m. near the intersection of 64th and Corey streets, on the south end of the city, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

The agency said that multiple engine crews from the county and Corona Fire Department were sent to the location, but because the fire was deep in vegetation, personnel could not immediately reach it.

Flames moved at a slow rate as crews worked to establish containment lines, relying on specialized Type 3 engines.

By Kristy Ramirez, City News Service

As the penalty phase continued Thursday for a Cathedral City man convicted of fatally gunning down four people in Palm Springs more than four years ago, the mother and the girlfriend of one victim testified about their resultant struggles, about the joy he spread and of the two kids he left behind.

Carlos Campos Rivera, 25, was killed by Jose Vladimir Larin-Garcia on Feb. 3, 2019, along with three other victims: Jacob Montgomery, 19; Juan Duarte Raya, 18; and Yuliana Garcia, 17. Jurors reached a unanimous guilty verdict Monday in Larin-Garcia’s retrial, found him guilty of the four murders and found true a special-circumstance allegation of multiple murders and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.

Jurors in his first trial deliberated over seven days but were unable to reach a verdict