The Lake Elsinore Valley Chamber of Commerce Student of the Month program, honoring students who make a difference in their schools and communities, held its first luncheon celebration of the 2025-2026 school year at the Lakeside High School Lancer Round Table Café on Sept. 9. Lunch was prepared and served by members of the Lakeside Culinary Academy.
Lake Elsinore Valley Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Kim Joseph Cousins emceed the event that has been held there since 1996. He welcomed all guests and explained the nonprofit program’s mission that acknowledges and honors college or trade school bound seniors for their character, love of learning and commitment to academics, in addition to participation in athletics, school activities and community service. It also commends those who have persevered through challenging life circumstances, all in a setting that honors God, country, family, community and free enterprise.
Large tote bags filled with gifts, certificates of recognition and much more donated by the program’s sponsors were given to the award recipients. Each student received a commemorative medallion and 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 and family members, as well as community and school district dignitaries.
September’s students of the month are Elsinore High School’s Blake Humphries-Baoloy and Olivia Stanley, Keith McCarthy Academy’s Kailani Mativa, Lakeside High School’s Francisco Diaz and Alexa Ruiz-Garcia, Ortega High School’s Mikayla Toaetolu, and Temescal Canyon High School’s Ethan Bales and Cassandra Caluag.
Elsinore High School
Blake Humphries-Baoloy stood next to Principal Pauline Leavitt as she told everyone to take a good look at him because he is going to be famous one day. “You see him involved with everything on our campus,” she said. “Teachers overwhelmingly said Blake is the heartbeat of our school.” He does peer counseling, is ASB president, BSU president, school board representative, social media manager for the Sports Medicine program, Drama Club president and president of Asian Unity. “These roles have given me the chance to grow as a leader, make lifelong friends, and build connections with staff and our community that I will always have to value,” Blake said. Sports Medicine program teacher Robbie Harrison said Blake wears many hats but he wears them all with pride. After joining halfway through the last school year, he proved to be an essential part of the program. He said that Blake is always enthusiastic about accomplishing his goals.
Olivia Stanley was introduced by Principal Leavitt as a “savage athlete” excelling as a varsity volleyball player and a martial artist. She has been in the Sports Medicine program all four years and an award-winning member of HOSA for two. She is also in AVID. She wants to study kinesiology and play volleyball at college. She said that as an athlete herself, she can relate to injuries sidelining players and she wants to be part of them being able to get back to their sports as quickly as possible. She said she is grateful to have learned under the leadership of Robbie Harrison. “The biggest life lesson I learned was from my club volleyball coach who shard a quote that has stuck with me: ‘If you’re not changing it, you’re choosing it.’ Not only is this applicable with attitudes in sports, but in relationships, conflicts and everyday issues,” Olivia said. Harrison said, “On the volleyball court, she’s the definition of an all-around player—tireless, dependable and always ready to give her best for the team.”
Keith McCarthy Academy singled out Kailani Mativa as September’s honoree. Principal Peter Hopping said she enrolled at the school halfway through eighth grade because she was looking for more flexibility and balance in her academics as well as her passion for horses and barrel racing. “That flexibility not only allowed her to succeed in school—she is currently a junior who will be graduating in June—but also allowing her to launch her very own online clothing company,” Hopping said. Kailani plans to pursue a business degree in college to help with furthering her own business. “The life lesson I plan to carry with me through college and beyond is to embrace challenges by taking risks,” Kailani said. “Through experiences I have in fact determined that choosing the more adventurous or what you think is the scary path often leads to the greater reward and personal growth.” She added that she finds that it is important to find your source of courage in life.
Lakeside High School
Francisco Diaz was introduced by Principal Jason Eldridge as a student who is in the top 10 of his senior class. He is involved with the Environmental and Mad Scientist clubs, and the AVID program. He hopes to attend UC, San Diego or UCLA to study chemical engineering with a dream of becoming an aerospace engineer. His AVID teacher Michelle Henricks said, “Frankie is an exceptional young man who embodies and values dedication, integrity, kindness and humor. A lot of our high-end students do not always find humor in the things I think should be funny, so I really appreciate that about him.” She said Francisco demonstrates an outstanding work ethic and maintains excellent grades, but it is his ability to collaborate and work with a diverse group of students that makes him stand out. “I think the combination of his academic excellence, his strong character and his ability to relate to others make him an outstanding representative for Student of the Month at Lakeside High School,” Henricks said.
Alexa Ruiz-Garcia was described by Principal Eldridge as a student who has already earned 40 college credits from Mt. San Jacinto College. She hopes to attend Cal State Fullerton where she plans to study political science to eventually enter the law field. “From an early age, I discovered my passion for crime, law and justice,” Alexa said. “At school I have been fortunate to be president of the Culture Club, participate in AVID and work as an AVID tutor. These experiences have helped me grow both as a student and as a person.” Spanish and AVID teacher Selene Jimenez said Alexa has logged more than 500 community service hours. “Her service goes beyond formal titles; she is the kind of person who is always willing to lend a hand and lift and encourage others to keep going,” Jimenez said. “Her peers look up to her because she leads by example. She shows that true leadership is not about being recognized but about using your strengths to empower others.”
Ortega High School chose to recognize Mikayla Toaetolu. She was introduced by the school’s new principal, Lee Alfred. He said that she has blossomed under the direction of business teacher Frederick Aspan-Martin, who oversees the Virtual Enterprises classes. Ortega is the only alternative education school in the country to be part of the Virtual Enterprises program where students get together to develop a mock company. Mikayla currently serves as CEO of her company where she leads a team of 13 of her peers in preparing for statewide and national competitions. She plans to attend Riverside Community College’s nursing program after high school. “Early on, I found my passion for caring for others through taking care of family members,” Mikayla said. “Going to Ortega was the best decision I could have made academically because Ortega offers community and friendship.” Her counselor Victor Bond said Mikayla has made an impact on him. “I saw in her that she could be a great leader,” he said.
Temescal Canyon High School
Ethan Bales was described by Temescal Canyon Principal Josh Hill as an outstanding leader and dancer who has been on the varsity dance team all four years and has served as captain the past two years. Participating in ASB’s leadership program for the past four years, Ethan is serving as director of the LINK Crew for his second year. He has been accepted for an internship by West Coast Elite Dance for next season. “My hope for the future is to attend UC Santa Barbara or San Diego State to study chemistry,” Ethan said. “I’ve always been fascinated by science.” He plans to pursue a career in medicine development. His dance coach Colleen Stevens said, “Ethan is a well-rounded dancer, excelling in pom, jazz, contemporary, lyrical and hip-hop. He constantly is working to improve by attending camp, competitions and learning from top choreographers; all to reach the goal of becoming a collegiate dance athlete and he’s on the right track.”
Cassandra Caluag was introduced by Principal Hill as a member of the Titan Engineering & Technology Academy, National Honor Society, California Scholarship Federation president, Science Club vice president, Girls Who Code club president, and Society of Women Engineers and Scientists group who is also ranked second in her senior class. “My journey has been shaped by a simple notion: opportunity isn’t just something you find, it’s something you build,” Cassandra said. “I learned to leverage educational pathways, advocate for my needs, and create possibilities where very few existed. I’m helping bridge the digital divide. I found that my passion lies not only in understanding technology but in helping others understand it too.” She hopes to study data science at UC, San Diego or UCLA. Her Honors Chemistry teacher Kari Lambert said, “In my 21 years of teaching, she stands out as one of the most remarkable students I have ever had. She’s earned multiple awards and is the only student in our school to make it to the state science fair last year.”
For more information on the program, please contact Kim Joseph Cousins at 951-245-8848 or Donna Romo at Donnajromo@aol.com.
