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 November luncheon celebration at the Lakeside High School Lancer Round Table Café on Nov. 5. Lunch was prepared and served by members of the Lakeside Culinary Academy.
Sally A. Myers, founder of the nonprofit program, welcomed guests to the event and shared its mission statement. The purpose of the organization is to acknowledge and honor 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.
November’s students of the month are Elsinore High School’s Joshua Battaglia and Crystal Steier, Keith McCarthy Academy’s Keylee Rae Stoltenberg, Lakeside High School’s Emily Pang and Ryan Plantillas, Ortega High School’s Chris Sanchez and Temescal Canyon High School’s Hunter Aragon and Paige Williams.
Elsinore High School
Joshua Battaglia was introduced by Principal Pauline Leavitt as someone who goes out of his way to make others feel comfortable. He is currently ranked 7th of 450 seniors with a 4.5 GPA. He is involved with the National Honor Society, is a four-year ASB officer and a member of the Academic Decathlon and tennis teams. “I just love to learn,” Joshua said. “To be a high achieving high school student is a full-time engagement.” He plans to major in math at college with a minor in linguistics. “I want to eventually come back to this district and teach high school math,” he said. “I feel I give back to my community by tutoring others in math. If you have a skill in this world, I feel like it’s kind of imperative to help other people with that thing they are struggling with because what good is a skill if you keep it to yourself.” ASB Advisor Jennifer Larios said, “Josh takes initiative to make sure things get done and that they are done right the first time. He has taken control of all of the tech set up and tear down for all of our ASB activities and events and has handpicked underclassmen to teach so that when he does graduate, he knows his job is passed on to someone who is also as passionate about doing it right as he is.”
Crystal Steier is a scholar athlete who plans to major in pharmaceutical or biological sciences to pursue a career in pharmacology. “This career is my ideal aspiration because I want to help people by providing ease to people’s pain and ailments,” Crystal said. She is involved in Student Site Council, California Scholarship Federation, NHS and is the captain of her varsity track and field and varsity volleyball teams. “The biggest lesson I have learned from my surroundings is to use my disadvantages as motivation to achieve my goals and to never give up,” she said. Her science teacher, Ryan Klopp, said Crystal is ranked in the top five of her graduating class with a 4.538 GPA. “She’s taken the most rigorous classes on campus and several courses at Mt. San Jacinto College to further challenge herself,” he said. “As a student in my Honors Chemistry class as a sophomore, she quickly established herself as a powerhouse student who combined intelligence with work effort to earn the highest grade in her class both semesters. As a member of my BIO-134 MSJC course, she quickly did the same, earning the top grade in that class. Her academic excellence speaks for itself.”
Keith McCarthy Academy singled out Keylee Rae Stoltenberg as November’s honoree. Principal Peter Hopping said she is one of KMA’s best and brightest students who started at the school in eighth grade. “Since then, she has truly blossomed as a student and as a leader,” he said, adding that Keylee is set to graduate a full year early. At college, she plans to study psychology with a minor in criminal justice or law. She serves on the yearbook committee and the Peer Leaders program and is the voice of KMA for daily announcements. She is also president and co-founder of the school’s book club. “Each of these programs may seem very different, however, they have one core similarity in which they are all built upon community. Being an active member has helped me develop many critical life skills such as advocating for myself, having self-motivation, and seizing every opportunity presented to me, as well as creating my own. These skills will remain prevalent in my life.” Her counselor Frank Fravel said, “Keylee not only self-advocates but she group advocates because all of these things she is bringing forward are benefiting not only her but other students. She’s taken full advantage of opportunities to prepare herself for college and to make her high school experience that much better.”
Lakeside High School
Emily Pang was described by Principal Jason Eldridge as an active member of the Street Dance Club, which she founded, along with many other activities and groups. Emily plans to major in clinical nutrition or nutrition science to uncover how foods impact our body and guide others to make healthier choices. She is part of the Sports Medicine CTE program and founder of the Street Dance Club, which showcases unique performances at pep rallies. Having a less than 2.0 GPA prior to high school and now well over 4.0, Emily said she is extremely proud of overcoming her education barrier after finally recognizing the sacrifices her father made to raise her. “That not only inspired me to improve my grades, but to improve my character overall,” Emily said. She aspires to be like the mother of her best friend, Ella Sheldon, who she describes as supportive, caring and so considerate of everything around her. Kristen Sheldon commended Emily not only for her academic excellence but for her bravery and fearlessness. “Our family has watched Emily grow over the last few years, socially and emotionally, into this incredible, outgoing, responsible leader,” she said.
Ryan Plantillas was introduced by Principal Eldridge, who said his past and current teachers shared what an impactful student he is. Ryan hopes to attend UC Irvine to study political science and enter law school to become a lawyer and eventually seek a political appointment. “Making a more comfortable society for all is what I believe to be most important when the people living in it rely on those elected to do what is best for them,” he said. A member of the school’s Culture Club, AVID and blood drive committee, Ryan said he learns from the people he is surrounded by every single day. “The biggest life lesson I have learned is that you can always do what you set your mind to because someone will be there to support you,” he said. AVID teacher Michelle Henricks said, “When I think of students that make teaching a satisfying and rewarding career, I do think of someone like Ryan. He’s engaging, he’s fun, he’s hard working, curious and intelligent. He enjoys talking about what he’s learning and what interests him in his classes.”
Ortega High School chose to recognize Chris Sanchez. Principal Greg Cleave shared an analogy of what his school represents to the community. “We’ve all been stuck in traffic on the freeway – gridlock traffic where you can’t move forward, you’re stuck,” he said. “You have two options; you can remain stuck or take an offramp and go a back way or use a side road to get to your destination. That’s what Ortega represents for a lot of students in our district. They just need something different so they don’t stay stuck.” Chris, who graduates in December, plans to attend Cal Poly to study biology with hopes of becoming a forensic scientist in the future. Chris said, “A life lesson I’ve learned is that everything is in your hands. You decide to be great every day you wake up to pursue your dreams and achieve them.” Social Science and Leadership teacher Alexis Flores said, “I can always count on Chris to add to my discussions and answer questions when the class gets quiet. I’m always excited to hear what he has to say in our economics class.” Chris’ mother said, “Just do your best. Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning how to dance in the rain. Every day may not be good but try to find something good in every day.”
Temescal Canyon High School
Hunter Aragon was described by Temescal Canyon Principal Joshua Hill as a member of the Titan Engineering & Technology Academy, captain of the varsity football team, and an Eagle Scout who is active in youth and church groups in his community. He plans to attend Brigham Young University to study accounting, following in his father’s footsteps. Hunter said football has been a huge part of his life ever since he was a kid, and that he has learned many different life lessons from it. “One I will take with me to college is the power of resilience and the importance of hard work, especially when things get tough,” he said. “My community, coaches, teammates and teachers have shown me that true strength isn’t just about physical ability – it is about perseverance, teamwork and putting in the work for something bigger than just myself.” The Academy’s director Robert Parks said Hunter is a well-rounded student athlete. “We tend to judge our students on traits that show up on college applications and things that can be quantified,” Parks said, “However, I believe one of the best compliments you can give to the parents of a student like Hunter is this: thank you for raising such a good young man and for trusting him to all of us It has been our pleasure.”
Paige Williams was introduced by Principal Hill as an International Baccalaureate student and varsity tennis player who plans to major in applied nutrition at college. Paige said, “School can be difficult and embracing it is not as easy as it sounds. But what rooted me in my attempts to embrace the work was the lesson of gratefulness. In all of my classes, there is an emphasis on global learning; understanding what is happening in the world, past my viewpoint. This emphasis showed me how lucky I truly am and it brought me a new perspective. I no longer HAD to learn something; I COULD learn something.” English teacher Feda Manasrah has been with the IB program for seven years. “I feel inspired by Paige,” she said. “It’s not that easy as a teacher to teach what it means to be a global thinker. Paige gets it.” Manasrah then addressed all the honored students by saying, “Learn what it means to go out in the world and be the change makers.”
For more information on the program, please contact Kim Joseph Cousins at 951-245-8848 or Donna Romo at Donnajromo@aol.com.
