The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle - April 7th, 2022

San Jacinto Valley high schoolstudents honored in March

DIANE A. RHODES | CONTRIBUTED

The Hemet/San Jacinto Student of the Month program held its most recent recognition event at the Maze Stone restaurant at Soboba Springs Golf Course, March 24. Seven 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 to overcome difficult life challenges. And they do this all in a setting that honors God, America, family, community and free enterprise. Students are nominated by teachers or other school personnel for making a difference in their homes, schools and communities.

Program founder and event facilitator Karena Zermeno also represents one of the sponsors, Altura Credit Union. Backpacks filled with gifts, a Student of the Month award, certificates of recognition and much more were donated by the program’s sponsors to the award recipients. Each student was invited to the podium to share their personal story, past challenges and future goals with a room full of supporters that included principals, teachers, peers, family members and community and school district dignitaries.

March’s students of the month from Hemet Unified School District schools are Priscila Aguilar, Caiden Bonney, Halley Jade Pareja, Katelyn Sonnier and Jamie Urtiz. San Jacinto Unified honorees for March are Raider Nunez and Soleil Sandoval.

HEMET UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

Priscila Aguilar from West Valley High School has had French as an elective with teacher Sarah Chapman all four years and will be taking her International Baccalaureate exam in French this year. Chapman said she was pleased to nominate her student to honor her character. Priscila has taken almost every AP and IB class offered at her school and has been active in ASB and tennis. Her goal is to major in microbiology, immunology and molecular

genetics at UCLA. “Never lose sight of your dreams; everything will become possible with determination,” Priscila said.

Western Center Academy’s Caiden Bonney lives in Menifee and has been a student at Hemet’s WCA since seventh grade. His teacher, Logan Wolny, said he is an outstanding student who is supportive of everyone and is always doing things for the betterment of the school, staff and fellow students. Caiden said, “Five years ago, my entire family’s life changed forever.” His mother was struck by a truck as she walked home from her daughter’s school. She was in a coma and on a ventilator and required full-time care for more than a year. She had multiple skull fractures and brain bleeds and resultant seizures. His father’s job as a firefighter meant much of the household responsibilities fell on Caiden. But he didn’t let that stand in the way of his academics or his pursuit of activities outside of school, such as teaching martial arts to young children.

“I learned so many life lessons during that time,” Caiden said. “You have to treasure every moment you have in this world with the people you love. You have to work hard no matter what challenges you might face.”

He has taken inspiration from his mother’s road to recovery and plans to take that to college where he will major in engineering. “I am