San Juan Hills Students Set Standard
Photo by Ryan Gooding
By Maryann Doudna and Erin Thomas
t the first ever San Juan Hills basketball game the stands were silent. The group of students had never been to a high school basketball game before and were unsure of how to cheer on their team. The administration quickly took action, arranging a pep rally that showed footage of rowdy college sporting events, hoping to drum up school spirit. That was four years ago. Today, the administration has no need to promote enthusiasm. With champion sports teams as well as thriving academic and arts programs, San Juan Hills has made great strides in its short career. Much of its success can be attributed to the 500-member class of 2011 that graduated June 22. The students of
the class of 2011 were the trailblazers of the school when they began as freshmen in 2007. While most new high schools start out with both freshman and sophomore classes, San Juan Hills freshman had no older students to look up to. “They took a risk to come here, “ said Principal Tom Ressler. But the risk has paid off, as students were able to create a community that was defined by them. An abundance of clubs ranging from mixed martial arts to “Cookies for Christ” were developed and sustained by the Class of 2011. This year students began their own newspaper, the Express. “When there was only a freshman class at San Juan, the campus felt something like a ghost town yet it still felt tight-knit since there were only about 500 students all
More than 500 students make up the first graduating class of San Juan Hills High School: Jovana Aboyte William Garrett Acromite Cora Nicole Acuna Lauren Nicole Adagio Viulet Adineh Ashley Eileen Aguirre Jane Ahn Kyle Joseph Alarid Nicole Danielle Alario Ana Maria Alatriste Maria Anaya Jason Andablo Jessica Andablo Jordan Hanna Anderson Andy Thomas Andreoli Niccolas Maxwell Annis Taylor Kristin Aoude Liliana Elizabeth Arias Guadalupe Avila Valeria Ayala Kyle M. Backhus Matthew Alexander Badran Bryce Michalik Baker Alexander John Baptiste Nicholas Alfred Bargelski Ceris Breanna Barker Natalie Marie Barnes Alondra Barraza Karen Isabel Barrera Roman Barrita Nicholas J. Beach Gabriel Becerra Mahsa Behzadi Jose M. Berber Mitchell Damian Bernard Corey Jacob Bittner Alexandra Nicole Block Malachi Matthew Bodine Sarah Sumire Boerner Adrian John Bogle William James Bohn David Aaron Bortz Melissa Botello
Samantha Rose Bourgeois Rocky Elliott Bragg, Jr. Thomas Keith Brawner Chaz Robert Breithaupt Sawyer Chase Britton Keegan J. Brown Ian Harrison Bruns Andrea Marie Buchanan Madeline Elizabeth Burns Christopher Gibson Buscemi Jose Adan Bustos Lauren Evangeline Cabral Luis Felipe Cabrera Zachary Elliott Cahill Alejandro Cano Akasha Rose Carabajal Erik Garcia Cardenas Oscar Javier Castaneda Jesus Castillejos Eric Castillo Leticia Castro Alexander James Celata Alfredo Cervantes Marcos Cervantes Carla Gisella Cespedes Argenis Dioney Chavez Max Joseph Chavez Jonathan Andrew Chung Mollie Grace Clemente Brandon Michael Colucci Hailey Marie Combe Elizabeth Dawn Conant Katelyn Ann Connors Elisse McKenna Cook Matthew Aaron Cooper Carolyne Elise Copley Desiree Athena Corey Gerardo Cortes Jacob Jay Cortez Samuel Cortez Molly Nicole Crawford Jesus J. Crisostomo James W. Crocicchia
Kayla Jane Dahl Salman Mahmood Danesh Dominic Paul D’Auria Cameron Bryce Davis Robert Michael Davis Esther Delgado Talia Brianna Delgado-Vega Alixandra Nicole Deming Brooke Ashley Dettman Darian Elayne Didier Jasmine Marie Diltz Sean Michael Dodd Kevin Thomas Doll Samantha Marie Doll Alan Dominguez Madison Marie D’Ornellas Jordan Skye Douglas Elizabeth Drake Taylor Jon Drake Blake Riley Draper William John Drewes Daniel Hugo Duran Chelsea Taylor Duvenage Sally Elqura Elizabeth Marie Elsanadi Lauren Brittany Engel Zuleyma Esquivel Chloe Brooke Euzarraga Gabriela Farias Isidro Farias Sanchez David Edward Fellner Samuel Scott Ferguson Jessica Patricia Fernandez Jade Lorel Ferra Robbia Ann Fezian Chantel Nicole Findlay Jacob Richard Fleming Aleida Flores David Flores Alexander Lee Fogle Alexandra L. Fontaine Kaitlyn Marie Forster Kyle Steven Fox
experiencing their first year of high school together,” Express Editor-in Chief Tanza Loudenback said. This close community allowed students to jump directly into leadership positions early on, in the classroom and on the stage, not having to compete with juniors and seniors for top spots. The seniors have also achieved great academic success, with 34 valedictorians graduating with a GPA of 4.0 or higher and a Scholar of Scholars. The students did face some challenges in their advancement to high school. Their first prom was held last year, and they haven’t been able to hold true homecoming events yet. When the students took their first AP tests, they had to learn to balance them with their normal schoolwork. “With every single thing that came up, they were successful,” Ressler said. The legacy of the class of 2011 will shape the culture of the school for years to come. “San Juan Hills has evolved before our eyes,” said Loudenback. This class had created a thriving and dynamic community with a myriad of activities for any student. “Any tradition we have, they were a part of,” Ressler said. “They took advantage of this opportunity.”
San Juan Hills Scholar of Scholars: Ian Webb Stallion of the Year: Negeen Sadeghi-Movahed
SJHHS Graduates
Taylor Rae Franco Eden Sunday Frazee Evan Gerald Verne Frolov Adrian Noel Gaeta Jerrad Edward Gaisford Maxwell Alexander Galbraith Matthew Robert Galvin Ana Karen Mata Gamboa Amara Julia Garcia Jonathan Uriel Garcia Miguel Ruben Garcia Sindy Sarahi Garcia Jordan Taylor Gardner Kelsey Marie Garrett Amanda Rose Geck Spencer Caton Giraldin Nicholas Andrew Glenn Mayte Gomez Rebecca Nicole Gomez Alexa Gonzalez Daniel Gonzalez Eva Estephany Gonzalez Miriam Socorro Gonzalez James Hillard Gordon Dane Arthur Gore Jazmin Grajales Bernardo Granados Maritza Granados Jacqueline Elizabeth Greiner Kyle Christopher Groff Shyan Kay Guerrero Sara Magdalene Gustavson Austyn Parker Guthrie Nicholas Edward Gutierrez Evan M. Guy Joshua Ross Hackett Devon James Hackwith Connor Hale Kathleen Rene Halstead Brandt Randall Hamilton Ariana Sara Hariri Tatum Rae Hathaway Cole Gregory Hawkins
Cody Morgan Hazell Bailey Marissa Hein Tori Elizabeth Hendricks Kyra Aileen Henning Anahi Hernandez Andrea M. Hernandez Corina Yvette Hernandez Daphne Hernandez Enrique Hernandez Fernando Hernandez Jesus Pedro Hernandez Joseph Anthony Hernandez Ricky Isaias Hernandez Ryan Margarito Hernandez Austin Taylor Hill-Curiel Maxwell Stanton Hillis Daniel Morgan Hitzfield Ian Hamilton Hodges Jacob Charles-Ross Holman Samantha Michelle Holmes Kevin Patrick Hoover Anthony Michael Humphreys Claire Jeanne Hunstein Aaron Patrick Hunt Christian Vance Ichikawa Kanelo Aristotle Iraclides Andrew Dylan Ivar Lauren N. Iverson Breanna Kennedy Jacobsen Ryan Scott Jacobson James Robert Jarvis Maria Elena Jimenez Brenan Thor Johnson Jered David Johnson Travis W. Johnson Claire Frances Jones Nathan Philip Kavanagh Mitch Ryan Keller Victoria Elizabeth Kendall Ryan Thomas Kessler Connor Douglas Kirkwood Adam Christopher-Hallahan Knapp Lindsey Anne Knott
Vishant Kumar Camden Zachary Kutnick Nicholas Perry LaForge Richard D. Landingham Matthew Raymond Larmand James Barrett LaRosa Nicole Joy Larson Holly Angelica Lauer Nicholas Anthony Laullon Dylan James Lawrence Anthony Eliberto Leal Zachary Lyle Leetch Denham Barton Leftwich Brian Daniel Leggett Jack Robert Leggett Ryan Patrick Leibrich Damian Leon Katelyn Blair Lindsey Alexis Lopez Daniel Lopez Daniel Lopez Rodriguez Tanza Alexis Loudenback Richard Arthur Love Amber Celeste Loya Penelope Anne Luksic Aaron Thomas Luth Taylor Rose Machado Taylor Christina Magee Sierra Marie Maitlen Andrea Franco Maldonado Jasmine Manzo Talin Mardirossian Abigail Martinez Jessica Martinez Nicodemus Mathews Parker Fairbanks Mathewson Alexia Samara Maya Allen Wilson McAnlis Patrick John McCormic Robert Thomas McDonald Gabriel Matthew McFadden Kelsey Robinson McKeag Ryan Kelly McNulty