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 most recent luncheon celebration at the Lakeside High School Lancer Round Table Café on Jan. 20. Lunch was prepared and served by members of the Lakeside Culinary Academy.
Emcee Kim Joseph Cousins, President and CEO of the Chamber, welcomed guests to the event. Founded by Sally Myers, the nonprofit program 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.
January’s students of the month are Elsinore High School’s Emrii Fuller-Caramico and Ryan Mora, Keith McCarthy Academy’s Jimena Obregon Fuentes, Lakeside High School’s Darius Fields and Julissa Ramirez, and Temescal Canyon High School’s Heaven Hewitt and Aaden Robinson.
Elsinore High School
Emrii Fuller-Caramico was described by Assistant Principal Brandon Stephens as being in sideline cheer, traditional competition cheer, and stunt cheer for three years. “She has often been referred to as the nicest person on campus,” he said. Emrii said she has learned great lessons from her involvement in extracurricular activities and has made some amazing friends. She is president of the Earth Club, which is one of her favorites. “I love that I get to speak out about our earth and help find ways to help it,” Emrii said. “Our school always invites Wildomar Beautification to come to our meetings, and they invite us to their cleanups. We are currently working on a booth for an Earth Day event in April.” After high school, she plans to serve on a church mission for 18 months before enrolling at CSU, Monterey Bay to major in marine science. She has dreamed of being a marine biologist since she was 10. Cheer coach and Earth Club Advisor Crystal Hofmann praised Emrii for her hard work. “All of our Earth Club members graduated last year so I thought the club was going to go away,” she said. “But Emrii volunteered to take over the club and is now the president. It’s just another example that she’s always willing to do what it takes for anyone who needs her without ever asking for anything in return and never seeking attention.”
Ryan Mora was introduced by Assistant Principal Stephens as a member of the marching band, concert band, and jazz band. “Ryan has been in all three of our bands all four years and is currently in the clarinet section of marching band,” Stephens said. “His current passion project is that he is teaching a classmate who is blind how to play the clarinet so that she can participate fully in our band program.” He plans to attend Cal Poly Pomona, majoring in computer science. “Since first grade, I’ve loved math and coding,” Ryan said. “The band program has taught me invaluable discipline, leadership, communication, and time management skills that I will carry with me throughout my future.” He believes his greatest contribution to his community was the Eagle Scout project he completed when he was in seventh grade, during the height of the pandemic. “I fundraised, built, and donated first aid kits to Wildomar Little League,” Ryan said. “Being able to give back and help others sparked my passion to pursue a career in tech to be able to advance medical engineering capabilities and defense for the betterment of the nation.” Band Director Annette Betts said, “We’re very proud of the work Ryan has done as a clarinet section leader. He’s basically in charge of 19 clarinet players. He has taught students who wanted to be in marching band how to play the clarinet.”
Keith McCarthy Academy
Keith McCarthy Academy singled out Jimena Obregon Fuentes as January’s honoree. Principal Peter Hopping said, “Jimena joined KMA during the second semester of her freshman year, looking for a fresh start and quickly found a learning environment that supported her in being successful.” Jimena said one of her greatest contributions to her school and community has been creating a space where students feel connected and supported through an art club. “I noticed that many students were isolated, especially those who are in independent study where attendance was optional at the time,” Jimena said. “I took the initiative to start an art club. This simple idea turned into a welcoming community where students could express themselves, build friendships, and have fun. Seeing something that I helped create was really meaningful to me.” A significant life lesson she learned is the importance of resiliency. “There was a time when my family experienced homelessness, and I had to balance my responsibilities to support my family,” Jimena said. “I learned to stay focused on my future while facing uncertainty in my present. School became my safe place and my pathway to a better future.” She hopes to attend UC San Diego to earn her degree in civil engineering. “My long-term goal is to use my education to help build resilient, eco-friendly, and inclusive communities and turn my ideas into real solutions.”
Lakeside High School
Darius Fields was introduced by Principal Jason Eldridge as an active student involved in tennis, science fair, and robotics. “Both my brothers received this same award in 2019 and 2022. Seeing the impact they made in our community inspired me to work just as hard to be standing here today,” Darius said. His goal is to study natural science and engineering, a culmination of all his interests. He has always been fascinated by learning about the chemistry behind cooking. “At Lakeside, I’ve served as Executive Chef of our culinary program, president of the robotics team, and founder of the science research program,” Darius said. “I’ve also served as the vice president of the Trailblazers Club, which focuses on educational opportunities, worked as a camp counselor, mentored elementary robotics teams working for LUSD, and starting today, I’m an afterschool assistant at Lake Elsinore Middle School.” All these experiences have inspired him to become a research professor so he can explore research education and create opportunities for other students who have ambitions but few avenues to explore them. Teacher Becky Peterson said Darius was a pioneer in Lakeside’s science research program and was the first student to compete in a science fair at Lakeside.
Julissa Ramirez was described by Principal Eldridge as “being involved in so many things that make a difference and set the culture and the tone of our school.” She wants to study kinesiology and become a physical therapist. She has already been accepted to Cal State Fullerton. “Growing up, I was always playing a sport and through that I’ve gained confidence and strength,” Julissa said. “I want to help someone regain that same confidence after an injury or setback.” She was part of AVID even before high school and said it has helped her stay organized, especially when juggling academics and participating in soccer and cross country, which taught her discipline, teamwork and perseverance. “I’m currently enrolled in the ED Rising program, where I’ve been able to explore the field of education and its importance,” Julissa said. Her previous involvement in Spanish Club allowed her to stay connected to her culture and school community. “All these clubs and programs have added value to my high school experience,” she said. “One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that everything happens in its own time. My future isn’t a race and I’m building my own timeline.”
Temescal Canyon High School
Heaven Hewitt was described by Temescal Canyon Principal Joshua Hill as a member of the leadership program who has served as class president as a freshman and sophomore, has been ASB vice president and is president this year. She is a four-year varsity cheerleader on a three-time CIF Championship team. “Heaven also helped start a flag football program at our school last year, so she was a two-year varsity member of our flag football team,” Hill said. Heaven plans to become licensed as a paramedic and earn her bachelor’s degree before starting her career as a firefighter. “One of my greatest contributions to my community has been my commitment to leadership and service throughout high school,” Heaven said. “I learned early what it means to listen. I learned that leadership is not about being in charge; it’s about being reliable, supportive and willing to step up when others won’t. It has shown me how much one person can make a difference when they truly care about their community.” She said firefighting represents everything she values: service, courage, teamwork, and protecting others. ASB teacher Cari Strange said, “What Heaven truly cares about is making our community great for all of our students. She believes in inclusion, listening to the democracy of our campus, and her heart is truly about service to others. I couldn’t ask for a better person to represent my program.”
Aaden Robinson was introduced by Principal Hill as a strong member of the Titan Engineering & Technology Academy, a member of the academic decathlon and debate teams and the Rubik’s Cube Club, as well as being a 1st-degree black belt in Taekwondo. Aaden said, “Ever since ninth grade, I’ve been interested in the field of computer science, particularly because I love coding and I want to become a software engineer in the future. I’ve expanded my skills through the digital classroom as well as on my own projects.” One of those was a modification, or plugin, to the popular video game Minecraft. “This program essentially changed the game’s way of generating the world to one that creates floating sky block islands unlike the usual terrain with mountains and valleys,” Aaden said. “I loved designing this project, particularly because of the trial-and-error process involved.” After three years of training and receiving his 1st-degree black belt in May 2025, Aaden was offered the opportunity to be a training instructor for younger students at the studio, which he gladly accepted. He feels this has been his greatest contribution to the community as many of his students have looked to him as a role model and have continued their training. Titan Engineering & Technology Academy Director Robert Parks said Aaden has an outstanding GPA of 4.667 but more importantly, he challenges Parks to be a better person because of his kindness and positivity.
For more information on the program, please contact Kim Joseph Cousins at 951-245-8848 or Donna Romo at Donnajromo@aol.com.
