The Murrieta/Wildomar Chamber of Commerce Student of the Month program held its recognition breakfast on Nov. 9 at the Murrieta Sizzler restaurant, 40489 Murrieta Hot Springs Road. Mary Walters, assistant superintendent of education services for Murrieta Valley Unified School District, served as master of ceremonies and invited veterans in the audience to stand and be recognized for their service ahead of Veterans Day. She welcomed everyone to the event before turning the podium over to program founder Sally A. Myers.
Myers explained that the nonprofit’s purpose is to celebrate and honor outstanding students who make a significant difference in their schools and community. Its mission is to provide a local high school recognition program which will acknowledge college and trade school bound seniors for their character, their love of learning and their commitment to academics in addition to their participation in athletics, school activities, community service or their ability to persevere and overcome difficult life circumstances in a setting that honors God, country, family, community and free enterprise.
Tote bags filled with gifts, certificates of recognition and 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 and family members, as well as community and school district dignitaries.
November’s students of the month are Murrieta Canyon Academy’s Alexis Rodriguez, Murrieta Mesa High School’s Haven Anozie, Murrieta Valley High School’s Breanna Wilhelmi, Oak Grove Center’s Blake Showalter, Springs Charter School’s Grace Dwinnell and Vista Murrieta High School’s Camila Bello.
Alexis Rodriguez
Murrieta Canyon Academy Principal Matt Bean introduced this month’s honoree.
“From our faculty’s perspective, Alexis is the ideal representation of our school,” Bean said. “She is kind, compassionate, hardworking, determined, dynamic and very humble. Moreover, she is a true friend to everyone and a leader who definitely knows how to lift those around her.”
Rodriguez transitioned from independent study to the daily campus model at Murrieta Canyon.
“My path to this podium has not been a simple one,” she said. “I’ve had to overcome many challenges. Not long ago, I lost my dad to COVID. This tragedy affected many aspects of my life; my grades declined, my relationships faltered and my mental illness worsened. I had to learn how to cope and continue with daily life. I grieved and learned how important it is to cherish what you love. It is difficult enough to be a high school student but to navigate through the daily challenges while also learning strategies to cope with my genetic bipolar disease has been overwhelming at times.”
Rodriguez learned to take things one day at a time and to appreciate the support she has found. Her college plans include studying child development, sociology and psychology.
“I’m interested in learning all I can on how the brain works and how disorders can be managed successfully,” she said, adding that she will be pursuing a career as an applied behavioral analyst, working with children.
Haven Anozie
Murrieta Mesa Principal Scott Richards introduced Anozie as senior class president, captain of the track team, a member of AVID and many clubs where she holds officer positions.
“She is proud of her ambition and her people skills,” he said. “In her own words she is always trying to impress herself.”
Anozie said her long held fear of public speaking has been a journey that taught her three things that she is eager to apply when she goes to college and hopefully realizes her career goal of being a lawyer.
“A fear of public speaking is usually a fear of being judged, embarrassed or of failure but people want to hear what you have to say and you have something to say,” Anozie said.
Her second lesson was to take advantage of her support system to help her surpass her own expectations.
“And thirdly, don’t be afraid to fail,” she said. “Failure is simply a steppingstone to success. You’re not worth any less because you fail and you’re not worth any more because you succeed. What you are worth is how much you believe in yourself and how willing you are to try.”
Breanna Wilhelmi
Murrieta Valley Principal Ryan Tukua said that Wilhelmi moved to Murrieta when she was in eighth grade and has made her mark at the high school through varsity sports and involvement in many programs.
“AVID has helped me in so many ways but the biggest impact it had on me was helping me find my voice,” Wilhelmi said. “This year, we created an AVID leadership team, and I get to be their secretary.”
She works with younger AVID students at Thompson Middle School through its Study Buddies program. She became part of the LINK Crew as a sophomore, which was unheard of at the time. She became a Red Zone leader at football games and takes IB and AP classes. Her college plans are to major in psychology and minor in child development to have a career as a second-grade teacher while continuing her education to eventually become a university psychology professor.
“If it wasn’t for moving out of my comfort zone from Illinois all the way to Murrieta, California, I never would have found the passions I have today,” Wilhelmi said. “Murrieta Valley has continuously given me the support and opportunities to become successful and I’m so glad that I get to call this place home.”
Blake Showalter
Oak Grove Principal Tammy Wilson has known Showalter for the past six years and describes him as being “super smart and witty.” His teacher Sam King said Showalter has been a great role model for everyone around him on campus. He started at Oak Grove looking forward to the future. After high school, he plans to study computer science at college with his eye on software development. He wants to work on projects that will benefit mentally challenged children seeking careers in the technology industry. His mother said life with Showalter has been a journey.
“Blake has achieved so much,” she said. “He is a 4.0 student who leads his peers, and he is so incredibly smart.”
Grace Dwinnell
Springs Charter School Principal Shirley Jones said, “On behalf of the Journey Home High School program at Springs, it is my honor to be here with our Student of the Month, Grace. We have had the blessing of serving Grace at Springs since kindergarten. Every day that Grace lives is truly a miracle. Thanks to her mom, Grace continues to thrive against all odds.”
“A big obstacle I’ve overcome is that I have a very rare genetic disorder that only affects about 7% of the population in the world and when I was born, there were only two cases in the United States that had lived past a day or two,” Dwinnell said.
She has seizures and other physical issues as a result of her condition.
“One of the life lessons I have learned is that there are not a ton of good people in the world nowadays which I’d really like to change,” Dwinnell said. “I think treating others with respect is probably the best thing you can ever do to an individual because I believe it is better for you and the other people you come in line with.”
Education Specialist Summer Knapp said, “On paper, Grace is a superstar with a high GPA, multiple CTE pathways and college courses, but what’s so amazing is her heart. She’s this gentle warrior.”
Camila Bello
Vista Murrieta High School Principal Celeste Scallion said, “We applaud Camila’s unwavering commitment to excellence.”
She said the senior’s AP and dual enrollment coursework shows her intelligence and dedication to academic rigor but that her impact far exceeds the classroom.
“Her involvement in cheer, drama and LINK Crew demonstrates a commitment to holistic high school experiences, not only for herself but for everyone she encounters,” Scallion said.
Bello plans to pursue a career in criminal psychology with the ultimate goal of working for the FBI. As well as being captain of the cheerleading team, she is involved with the drama department, serves as National Honor Society president and is a Principal’s Advisory member and one of five LINK Crew captains. She also volunteers at Pennypickle’s Workshop.
“Whenever I think of my greatest contribution to Vista, I think of my varied impact,” Bello said. “When I leave Vista Murrieta High School in the spring, I do not want my name to be remembered. Instead, I want the ideals that I live by to remain. I hope that students understand that when they do something with passion, as I do, they have the best results.”
For more information or to participate in the program, contact LouEllen Ficke at 951-415-2250 or Sally Myers at 951-775-0520.
