Fortune favors the bold at Ventura High School

Highlighting the military as a career for VHS students

Miles Newman

Hugh Murphy

Students at VHS follow many different career paths after graduation. One of those paths is the U.S. Armed Forces, the largest single employer in the world with around 3.2 million employees. Students are offered many opportunities to learn more about the military, in- cluding frequent booths from different military branches which dispense information about recruitment and career paths. The booths are usually located by the flagpole near the senior lawn.

Jayden Johnson ‘23 is one of the students who will join the armed forces following her graduation. Johnson said, “I am going into the U.S. Air Force. I am going to interview to be a mental health technician.

It is a job that can’t just be picked. You have to be fit for it, prepared and ready for anything. You have to be resilient and an extremely patient person who knows how to separate work from home.” Due to the size and scale of the military, there are a multitude of paths that individuals who are interested can take. These include enlisting out of high school, attending Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at a college, getting hired as a private contractor and attending a military academy.

Johnson said, “The route to the military is different for everyone. Some people choose to be in ROTC, others have a family background and make that decision immediately, [or] maybe this was the only choice they had. I personally made up my mind when I realized I was ready for more than just college. I want to do more with my life at an earlier age. I have a better shot personally to become something because of the military.”

Carbajal is the house representative for most of Ventura. To apply to a military academy, students require a nomination from a representative, senator, vice president or the president. Carbajal said, “It is so satisfying to host [Academy Nights] because you are our brightest and most precious resource as young people.” Graphic by: Hugh Murphy

Another opportunity for students comes in the form of academy nights, which occur yearly sometime in May. These events are designed to inform students and parents about the military academies, which are colleges connected to the military. There is an Air Force Academy, Military Academy, Naval Academy, Coast Guard Academy and Merchant Marine Academy. All of these colleges offer some of the best programs in the nation in fields like engineering, chemistry, physics and economics. Due to their small size and high prestige, these

VHS alum Julia Izquierdo secures the lower lot

New security guard keeps VHS students on campus

Kinda Mehael

Kendall Garcia

VHS alum Julia

Izquierdo ‘20 started her security job on the VHS campus in late March and has been keeping students safe on campus ever since. Izquierdo graduated from VHS in 2020 and went on to her security job at DeAnza Middle School. When an opening at VHS came along, Izquierdo decided to come back to the school she loved.

Izquierdo said, “[The transition to VHS has been] more calm, everybody is a little bit more mature and [VHS students] are more kind of miniature adults, so you guys kind of already know how to, you know [act]. Whereas the middle schoolers are well, having fun.”

Since Izquierdo was once a VHS student herself, so she knows a lot about what goes on both on and off campus. But her main priority is always keeping kids safe.

Izquierdo said, “[I want students to know] that I was once in your guys’ shoes and I know that you guys, in the blink of an eye, are gonna be out of here, so I think they should just have fun.”

Izquierdo is considered an addition to VHS’s security and not a replacement for anyone. Her goal is to stay at VHS for however long they are willing to keep her.

Jenny Michalec, who has been at VHS for security for the past year, said, “I think Julia is a good addition to VHS. She’s doing military academies are highly selective in the admission process.

John Demers, the representative of the Naval Academy, said, “[The academies] look for strong academics, a top performer in GPA and SAT score, involvement in athletics, evidence of teamwork, leadership potential and the ability to overcome adversity [...] though all of these categories are not required as I have seen every kind of student be accepted to and succeed at an academy.” good learning. I think she’s a good fit.”

The military remains an option for all students at VHS, with paths available to all kinds of individuals. The military offers stable and meaningful careers yet requires full dedication and commitment.

Although Izquierdo focuses her time on keeping students safe while she’s on campus. Izquierdo also has some other hobbies outside of school.

“I’m gonna be a grandma again, I have a second batch of pitbull puppies that are gonna be on their way, I also have a couple of brothers,” said Izquierdo. On campus, Izquierdo is mainly placed by the bathrooms for breaks and lunchtime. She then moves to the lot after lunch and for dismissal.

Claire Clay ‘23 said, “I’ve seen the new security guard [Izquierdo] around for a little while now. I’ve talked to her a couple times and she’s really friendly.”

Izquierdo said, “My job is to make sure all of you guys stay on campus once you guys get here it’s my job to keep you here. Make sure nobody leaves, make sure nobody comes in.” Izquierdo said, “[The transition has been] good, it feels funny to be back [at my old school], but I mean it’s VHS.”

Lourdes Almalab

Isabel Andrade

Weston Blackburn

Samantha Castañeda

Leslie Castro

Adi De Clerck

Davin Dedman

Ella Duncan

Jayden Gentry

Santiago Gonzales

Lia Hersh

Kinda Mehael

Christian Montecino

Christopher Morrison

Anastasia Nisky

Emily Nguyen

Savanna Nustad-Franzen

Brianna Ramirez

VHS prepares to say “farewell” to its foreign friends

As the year comes to a close, several exchange students reflect on their time in Ventura before returning to their homes across the world

Ava Mohror

Brody Daw

In the 2022-23 school year, VHS played host to several foreign exchange students who came to stay in Ventura for the year. Liviya

Nascimento ‘24, Elina Bahr ‘24, and Saana Jormalainen ‘23 came from Germany, Switzerland and Finland, respectively, for their foreign exchange year in the U.S. Foreign exchange students come to America through the International Cultural Exchange Services. The ICES is an official J-1 sponsor through the U.S. Department of State, giving students seeking experiences in the U.S. a visa to do so. Before a student showing interest in the foreign exchange program can join the program, they must take a language exam and participate in an interview with an ICES employee to ensure they can thrive in the U.S. Many of these exchange students landed in Ventura a few weeks before the start of school, and will fly back to their home countries a few weeks after the end of school, so they will be able to continue to spend their summer with the friends they have made before returning home.

Nascimento came to Ventura from Geneva, Switzerland. While staying in Ventura, Nascimento is staying with Dani Simpson ‘26, a member of VHS track and field. “I’ve really enjoyed the year in Ventura. I really miss my friends and family at home and the food a lot,” said Nascimento.

California draws its visitors with its attractions, like Hollywood, the Channel Islands and the numerous beaches going up the coast.

Ventura’s foreign exchange students spent their year exploring these different attractions. Nascimento said, “Overall, I’d say [my favorite part of my experiences in Ventura] were the trips I did with my host family.”

Bahr is from Koblenz, Germany. While in Ventura, Bahr has been staying with Adalyn Moore ‘25, a varsity cheerleader at VHS.

Bahr was drawn to California for the beaches. She said, “California was my choice because I wanted to be close to the beach and because I was hoping for good weather.” Unfortunately for Bahr, California suffered severe rainstorms at the beginning of the year, reminding Bahr of Germany. While these foreign exchange students have enjoyed their time in Ventura, they have also been missing aspects of their homes. Bahr said, “What I miss most is the freedom and the independence I had in Germany. Public transportation there is way better, teenagers are more responsible and I didn’t have strict rules in contrast to what I got used to here.”

Nascimento said, “I really miss my friends and family at home, and the food a lot.”

Jormalainen is visiting Ventura from Helsinki, Finland. While Jormalainen is here, she is not staying with any VHS students. Her host family is Ron and Krista Stevenson, former VHS parents. “I have really enjoyed my year here, and I love Ventura. It’s a perfect little beach town, and I will miss it a lot,” Jormalainen said.

While in Ventura, Jormalainen joined the VHS varsity girls basketball team. Jormalainen was eager to join the team at VHS because she was on her hometown basketball team back in Finland.

Jormalainen reflected on her time spent in Ventura. “My favorite part was living in a warm place.”

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NewLife Club: the newest club on campus is Christian

A new club to continue next year

The NewLife Club held its first meeting during lunch on April 18 in science teacher Heather Miyata’s room 62. The club’s leadership includes Miyata, the club’s advisor, and Alethia Martinez ‘24, the club’s president. The club is non-denominational Christian and will focus on religious education and awareness. It will meet during lunch on the first and third Tuesdays of every month. The club was originally conceived by Miyata and was brought to Martinez’s attention. Martinez also wanted to start a Christian club at VHS, so they united to create the NewLife Club.

Martinez said, “I began the NewLife Club for people to know Jesus and to feel the love he gives. We also sometimes have stress [because] of school or [something else]. I want this club to be [somewhere] where they can relax and let go of what they have. Anyone is welcome.”

The club will meet four more times after its first April 18 meeting. The four meetings will be centered around episodes of “Fire and Faithfulness” by Sadie Robertson Huff, with

Science teacher and NewLife Club Advisor Heather Miyata, center-right, leading club members introductions during the club’s first meeting on April 18.

Photo by: Alejandro Hernandez every meeting including one episode.

The NewLife Club also plans on hosting an event in honor of the May 4 National Day of Prayer during its May 2 meeting. In addition, the club is planning to sell cookies at the VHS Food Faire on April 28.

Juan Coronado ‘24, a NewLife Club mem-

Ventura High School dance teams step into the spotlight

Recap of VHS dance teams 2022-23 it was an exciting performance.” dance team and hip hop team to get to meet dancers from other schools and from other high schools and dance programs here in Ventura County.” ber, said, “It’s important to have a community at our high school that involves [the] church and [Christianity]. My friend [Martinez] is the president of the club, so she did invite me to come and to show support and to see what it was about.

VHS’ dance teams have been around since the 2000s. The school’s dance program, taught by Taylor Koester, has brought dance education to VHS students. VHS offers a variety of different skill leveled classes as well as youth camps, performance opportunities and open dance classes.

They recently had a free open dance class series where they had Hip Hop on March 8, Musical Theater Jazz on March 22 and Reggaeton on April 5. All classes were from 6 to 7 p.m.

It was open to all VUSD students ages 12 to 18 in Room 40.

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On Jan. 20, Dance and Rhythmics 1, Dance and Rhythmics 2, the hip hop team and the dance team had their Informal Showcase during period six from 1 to 2 p.m. in the VHS auditorium. Hip hop and dance teams have performed at football games and even basketball games. On Jan. 26, VHS hip hop and dance performed for their last game at the VHS versus BHS girls basketball game. The hip hop team performed “Diva’s,” by Beyonce and the dance team performed “Wanted Dead Or Alive,” by Jon Jovi. It was also the VHS seniors’ last game performance of the year. Ivana Rico ‘23, captain of the hip hop team, said, “My favorite performance has to be the homecoming performance year [2022-23]. It was a combinated dance with the dance team and hip hop team. I was [also] a part of homecoming royalty and

On Feb. 11, they had their very first competition at Agoura Hill High School for the West Coast Elite competition. The dance team took home fifth place for the “Small Contemporary,” and hip hop took third for the “Large Hip Hop” competition. Koester said, “It was so much fun and was definitely a new experience. It was very eye opening. It was really cool for [the]

Mission Statement

On March 18, they performed at the 805 Night Market along with other dancers around Ventura County, including the BHS dance team, the Alias Dance Fam and many more. In the first few weeks of May, there will be auditions for both hip hop and dance teams. Dance team auditions will be held from 3:45 to 5 p.m. on May 2 to 4. Hip hop team auditions will be held from 3:45 to 5 p.m. on May 9 to 11. The first two days of the auditions will be workshop days to learn the dance routines. On the very last day, auditions with the coaches will be held.

The Cougar Press is a completely student-run, public forum of the Ventura High School community. We strive to present all sides of an issue fairly and without bias while being as resourceful to our readers as possible. From time to time, we make an error. When this happens, we try to correct it as soon as possible. Students and community members are encouraged to write for The Cougar Press and to submit photos and videos. We welcome all submissions but may edit them for clarity and brevity. This public forum is only as good as the community support it receives.

Contact us at thecougarpressvhs@gmail.com

Kate Duffey serves to impress

VHS’ very own volleyball player, Kate Duffey, is on top of her game

Ava Mohror

“Kate is one of the most valuable players a team can have,” said VHS varsity girls volleyball player Chloe Simpson ‘24.

Kate Duffey ‘24 is a setter for the VHS varsity girls volleyball team. Duffey played as the team captain of the VHS team this year, only stopping due to a back infection that put her in the hospital at the beginning of the 2022-23 school year. However, after weeks on crutches, Duffey has been able to get back in the game and play for the majority of her junior season. Duffey has been playing since the seventh grade, and despite her injury, her hard work has proved to have paid off.

On the VHS varsity girls volleyball team, they placed first all-conference and second all- county.

Duffey also plays for a club team, City Volleyball Club. They have ranked fifth overall in southern California, as well as being named the Amateur Athletic Union Open All-American Team and Academic All American team. Duffey’s club team has received an open bid to move on to USA Volleyball Nationals.

Coupled with her two teams’ achievements, Duffey has also received offers from several different colleges to play volleyball on their teams. These colleges include Oregon State University, San Jose State University, Loyola Marymount University and UCLA. As of May 12, Duffey officially committed to UCLA for volleyball starting in the fall of 2024.

Simpson said, “She’s so talented and one of the smartest players to come across. She is a supporting teammate and a leader. I can always look to Kate if I need help or in a rut.”

VHS varsity girls volleyball player Sophia Sletten ‘24 said, “Kate’s energy is unmatched to anyone I have ever played with